


Tea for the Soul

by Casdeaniscanon



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anxiety, Blogging, Bottom Castiel, Bottom Dean, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Dating, Depression, Double Dating, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Inspirational Speeches, It's an inspirational blog, M/M, Music, Musician Dean, Musicians, Mystic Records, Power Bottom Castiel, Sassy Castiel, Singer Castiel, Singing, Smut, So prepare for some heavy shit at times, Sue's Corner, Sweet Treats Bakery, Switching, Top Castiel, Top Dean, Work In Progress, auditions, balthazar is a music agent, guitarist dean, mentions of self harm, motivational words
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-07-26 12:20:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7573825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casdeaniscanon/pseuds/Casdeaniscanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester was staring intently at his computer screen, completely entranced by Novak. He had messy, dark hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes that Dean has ever seen. The man sat in a black chair, elbows propped on a dark, wooden table. His slender fingers were gripped around a black and yellow striped mug, with the ever-present tea string hanging over the side.</p><p> <a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/user/softballtl13/media/Tea%20for%20the%20Soul%20cover%20pic_zpsptwboey2.jpg.html"></a><br/>  <img/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> If any of you lovely artists would like to draw some fanart for this story, that would be greatly appreciated :)
> 
> Send me a message here or on tumblr (Casdeaniscanon). Thank you!
> 
> Enjoy <3
> 
> Side note: I sometimes edit as I go 'cause I wanna puke out all these chapters as fast as I can (which isn't that fast haha), but some things might change after you read. I'll be sure to edit everything one last time once all of the chapters are up, which will take a while. Sorry.

** Tuesday, November 15, 2016 **

_Good evening, everyone. This is Novak and welcome back to Tea for the Soul. This week we’re here to discuss relationships. I’ve gotten a lot of requests asking to regard this topic so… here we go._

JillianFrank _asks: “My boyfriend of 2 years just dumped me for NO reason. Should I just let him go? I don’t know what to do..."_

 _Well, Jillian, I can’t tell you to do this or to do that… it’s entirely your choice. However, I do have some advice that could help guide you in your decision-making. First, ask yourself, ‘Was I in a healthy relationship?’ If the answer is yes, then think back to anything that may have happened recently. Did you do or say something to upset him? Did he at least try to give you an explanation? Were there problems beforehand? An argument perhaps? If you said no to these questions, confront him. Ask him to tell you_ why _he left. If he avoids the question, maybe he wasn’t the one. You want someone in your life who will fight for you, even when you disagree. But… remember Jillian… in the end, we only regret the changes we didn’t take._

Dean Winchester was staring intently at his computer screen, completely entranced by Novak. He had messy, dark hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes that Dean has ever seen. The man sat in a black chair, elbows propped on a dark, wooden table. His slender fingers were gripped around a black and yellow striped mug, with the ever-present tea string hanging over the side.

Novak’s intense blue eyes could grab anyone’s attention. Which is probably why he has such a popular following. His Tea for the Soul blog has its own website, where Novak live-streams inspirational videos every Tuesday. He also posts a motivational quote every day, probably to quench his followers thirst for more wisdom from the man.

Novak took a slow sip of his tea while looking at the camera. _He has got to be doing that on purpose_ , Dean thought. He sat the mug down with a quiet _bump_ , then looked over to the laptop that sat beside him on the desk. He scrolled down on the trackpad a bit,

 

 _Ah,_ JosephYarnell _asks: “There’s this guy in my biology class and I’m not sure how to talk to him. I’ve had a crush on him for forever, but I’m not sure if he likes guys too? How do I find out without straight up asking him?”_

_Joseph, my advice would be to start off small and make simple conversation. Whether it be relating to your class or, heck, about the weather, just go for it. If he seems interested in talking more, in being friends, just go slow. Become his friend first, and you’ll learn trust each other. Things that are worth it are harder to work for. Remember to be patient, Joseph, successful relationships take time._

 

Dean nodded along as Novak answered a few more of his follower’s questions. The man’s deep, gravelly voice was something magical. It really added to all of the motivation he was dishing out.

 

_That should be all for this week, folks. I want to say thank you to everyone who sent in their questions. I apologize that I cannot answer back to everyone, but I do try my best and I think you all understand that. Next week’s topic will be posted below, so ask your questions down there. Thank you for watching… and remember… be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody._

 

With one small wave and a smile from Novak, the screen went to black. Dean let out a long sigh and flipped his laptop shut with a _smack_ , setting it on the nightstand. The bed groaned as he stood up and Dean made his way into the bathroom.

 

 

Dean Winchester lives in his childhood home, located in Lawrence, Kansas. The whole place, along with their parent’s belongings, were left to him and his brother a few years ago. John and Mary Winchester had passed away in a deadly car crash on November, 14, 2013 and both brothers took their losses very hard. Dean took to drinking away every night so he could forget what had happened. And on the days Dean _didn’t_ want to pass out alone, he hit up bars and tried to seduce anything that had legs. It worked most of the time… but it wasn’t exactly satisfying.

Now that it was 2016 and Sam had moved out to California last year to attend Stanford, Dean wanted his life to change. No more hook-ups, no more drinking himself silly, no more avoiding his best friends. He just wanted to be normal again. To go LARPing with his friends, have Star Wars marathons with Charlie, go fishing with Benny. But what he most desperately wanted was to be by someone’s side. He wanted to go to sleep with the same person every night, not a red-haired woman tonight and a blond-haired man tomorrow. No. He wanted to start acting his age. He wanted to start that apple pie life he’s always wanted, dammit.

Maybe that’s why he took to watching Tea for the Soul. Sure, he probably never would’ve been interested in watching it if it wasn’t for Sam. He would never, ever admit it to his pain in the ass little brother, but… the blog helps. A lot. The live videos of the man with blue eyes and messy hair who drank tea out of a bumblebee mug were truly inspirational. True, they were separated tiny laptop screen… and Novak doesn’t even know he exists… but he seemed to have answered all of Dean’s prayers.

Novak’s topic on addiction helped him cut down on the alcohol and he couldn’t thank him enough for that. So, every Tuesday Dean logs on to TFTS.org after his shift to try and catch Novak’s latest stream. He even checks the everyday quotes before he goes to bed every evening. But Dean would deny it if you said Novak helps him sleep at night. Even though he most certainly does.

 

 

Dean turned the sink on and dipped his hands under the running water. He splashed his face and wiped himself down with a hand towel. Dean looked _tired_. There were bags under his eyes from the insomnia and he hasn’t shaved in a few days. Yesterday was the anniversary of his parent’s deaths and he wasn’t taking it well. Dean talked to Sam yesterday and earlier that morning, but that’s it. The rest of last night and this afternoon was spent watching Novak recite his advice to needy fans. Well, he couldn’t really say that because _he_ was one of those needy fans, although he’s never sent in a question. He’s just… scared to? _Man, I need to get out of the house. Maybe I should call Charlie? Yeah… yeah, I’ll do that._

He grabbed his phone out of his sweatpants pocket and dialed his best friend’s number. It only rang twice before Charlie answered, _“Dean! I thought you forgot about me! What’s crackalackin’ sista?”_

Dean rolled his eyes, “Not much, _sista_. I was wonderin’ if you’d wanna have a movie marathon tonight?”

_“Totally! We haven’t done that in ages! What’s on the menu tonight? Star Wars… Harry Potter… Percy Jackson… Lord of the Rings…”_

Dean made a thoughtful sound, “I’m kinda in the mood for some HP. That sound good, red?”

_“Duh. You know I love Hermione! My place or yours?”_

“Yours. I gotta get out of my goddamn house.” Dean sighed as he wandered back into his bedroom.

Charlie was silent for a moment then quietly spoke up, _“What’s got you down?”_

“It’s just… I’ve been thinkin’ a lot…” The mattress creaked in protest as he sat down on the bed.

 _“Hey, no worries. You’ll forget about everything once we get you a dose of some magic. I’ll order take out and it’ll be just like old times. You can tell me what happened if you want… or not…”_ She lowered her voice to a whisper, _“But just so you know… I’ll bug the hell out of you anyways.”_

Dean chuckled and that, smiling wide at how awesome his best friend is, “Thanks, Char. I’ll be over later.”

_“Gotcha. Text me the deets. Peace out.”_

“Will do.”

The call ended with a _click_ and Dean smiled for the first real time today. Well, besides watching Novak’s videos of course. _Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody._ Yeah, Dean could do that.

 

**********

Castiel Novak ended with his usual smile-and-wave, but this time it followed with a long sigh after he clicked off the camera. He took a sip of his tea-with-honey, brewed in his favorite bumblebee mug. _I need to switch it up… how do I make it… less boring? Is that the phrase I’m looking for?_ Castiel stood up from his recording chair and made his way to the living room, where his little sister was watching TV. _Maybe Hannah would have some ideas?_

 

His sister, Hannah, was visiting from New York for the week. Castiel hasn’t seen her in… two years? When Cas decided to leave home and _spread his wings_ he moved into this apartment, in Lawrence, Kansas while Hannah stayed back in Brooklyn, New York with their parents. Chuck and Becky Novak were getting up there in age and she felt that she needed to look after them. Castiel insisted that they’d be fine where they were, though. _There is a thing called phones, Hannah_ , he’d often say.

So, long story short, Hannah was having a seemingly endless slumber party with his big brother and Castiel secretly loved it. He hasn’t made many friends in the time he’s moved to Lawrence, besides the guy who owned Castiel’s favorite bakery. But Gabriel wouldn’t be what he would call a friend though. _Maybe… menace? Pain in the ass? Guy who I talk to because no one else will pay me the time?_ Those terms of endearment may be true, but Castiel does loves the guy. Really. _Because, hell, I haven’t been that close to anyone since… high school?_

Anna Milton, his high school best friend, sadly passed away in a theatre shooting right after graduation. He mourned her something terrible. Castiel’s depression got increasingly harder during that time, he didn’t have any motivation to do anything. Chuck, Becky, and Hannah tried to do everything they could to take his mind off of his best friend and they helped, they truly did, but… why would he want to forget her? They did everything together. They’d been joined at the hip since preschool. Losing someone that close is never easy and in Castiel’s case it was like hell.

But… he did what anyone else would have, or hopefully would have done in his situation. Castiel studied his way through college in his hometown and earned his degree in mental health education. After he graduated from college he moved to Lawrence, Kansas and started his blog, Tea for the Soul. It’s a non-profit blog, of course, which is why Castiel helps out at the bakery for his income. As little as it may be, Cas enjoys creating all sorts of delicious treats. Well, with Gabriel’s guidance, of course.

But many people, including his parents, would ask him… _why Lawrence_? And Castiel would just shake his head and chuckle, _change of pace, I suppose? Living in a big city gets old after a while._

In all honesty, though, Castiel quite likes it here. It was quiet. A great contrast from his lifestyle in Brooklyn. Sure, he misses his parents and Hannah terribly sometimes, but they always find time to take a phone call or skype some time or another.

 

 

Castiel crept up behind the couch, careful to not make a sound. Hannah was engrossed in some reality TV show… _Keeping up with the Kardashians’? Really? I need to educate her in real television._ He got close to her back and grasped her shoulders in a jerking motion. Hannah jumped up and gasped in surprise, blanket rustling to the floor, “Cas! How many times do I have to tell you _not_ to do that?” She laughed, breathless from being what Castiel would call _scared shitless_.

He chuckled and ruffled Hannah’s dark hair, “You know I’m just joking around, sis.” Hannah punched him on the arm, Cas frowning and rubbing his shoulder in mocking pain, “Ow! Would you like me to tell Ma? Or Pa? Tell them you came here just to beat me up?” Castiel had a shit-eating grin on his face, playing this little game the siblings have been accustomed to do.

“Oh, yeah? Well, I was just joking, _bro_.” She was smiling wide, probably too proud for her own good that she got a hit in on her _badass big brother_. Cas laughed and sat himself down on the couch, Hannah doing the same. They were quiet for a moment, then Castiel sighed. He looked over at his sister and slouched down in the cushions, “I need help.”

Hannah turned to face her brother, “Help with what?”

“Tea for the Soul. Is it boring? Do I need to do something different? What are other bloggers doing? I just feel so… incompetent.” Cas had a scrunched up look on his face, deep in thought.

She nodded thoughtfully, “Well… I follow some bloggers myself and many of them hold conventions, meet and greets, to talk to their followers in person. Maybe that could be something to think about?”

“Meet and greets? I haven’t thought of that before… that’s something people enjoy?” He looked over at Hannah, eyes squinted.

“Of course. It gives them the opportunity to talk to the person who helped changed their lives. It’s quite extraordinary. You help a lot of people, Cas. I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

Castiel shook his head, “Really? But… I’m nothing special. I just sit in front of a screen and answer questions.”

Hannah looked over with a face that said, _you better not be downing yourself again, Cas. You won’t win that argument this time._

“Exactly. You answer their questions in the best way you can and they love you for that. Of course they’d want to meet you.”

Cas still looked skeptical at the idea, “I suppose, but… what if people attack me? Not all of my followers actually like me. There’s mean-spirited people out there who are just looking to cause trouble and bring hate.”

“I find that hard to believe, Cas. Just be confident out there and no one will touch you. It’ll be a great experience.”

Castiel nodded, thinking hard about the event, “Well… I’ll think about it. Maybe ask them in next week’s video if that’s something they’d be interested in? And decide off of the feedback?”

Hannah clapped her hands together excitedly, “That sounds like a great idea! You won’t regret it, Cas. Maybe you’ll even make some friends.”

Cas rolled his eyes at his sister and grabbed the remote, “Yeah, yeah. I have no friends. Thanks for the reminder.”

They both chuckled ended the conversation at that. The siblings continued to watch the rest of the Keeping up with the Kardashians’ episode, all while Cas was thinking, _God, I need to show this woman Star Wars. Right now._

 

**********

_Knock, knock, knock… knock, knock, knock… knock, knock…_

“GODDAMMIT, DEAN, I’M COMING!” Dean chuckled as Charlie bounded through the house she shared with her wife. The front door swung open a moment later, revealing his disheveled best friend, “Hey, Char. Little trouble in paradise?”

She glared at Dean and gestured for him to come in, “I just got off the phone with Gilda. She’s on the way back from her work trip.” Dean nodded in understanding and followed her into the house.

He glanced around and smiled when he spotted the Chinese takeout on the coffee table, “Prepared, are we?” Charlie turned and pointed a finger at him, “Hey! I’m a great best friend!”

Dean nodded and headed towards the couch, “That you are, Char. Now let’s pop in some HP and get our magic on!” He groaned, “Oh, _God_. I’m turning into _you_.”

Charlie snorted, “I don’t see that as a bad thing. Besides… you could _never_ be _me_ , _handmaiden_.”

He turned and pointed a threatening finger in her direction, “That was _one_ time. One time!”

“Mhm. One time you’ll never get back. Now pop that DVD in and let’s get our marathon on.”

Dean grabbed The Sorcerer’s Stone and jammed it into the DVD player while Charlie set out the food. It was going to be an awesome night.

 

The credits for The Chamber of Secrets were rolling down the black screen, quiet music filling the room when Dean decided to let his dam of emotions flow, “Char… can I ask you somethin’?”

Charlie tuned in her place on the couch, giving him her undivided attention, “Yeah, of course.”

He scratched nervously at the back of his head, not used to talking about his feelings, “What if I said I wanted to… settle down? Stop hooking up with randoms.”

“Well, I’d say that it’s about time! Go out there and mingle, talk to the nice ladies and gents. Go on dates, do your thing.”

Dean nodded slowly, “But… what if that isn’t my thing?”

“What do you mean?”

He looked down, avoiding her gaze, “What if I’m not… cut out for that life?”

Charlie actually managed to look exasperated, “Dude. Not cut out for that life? That’s bullshit.”

“I mean it, Char. What if I’m… not good enough…”

_What if I don’t find anyone who wants to be with a greasemonkey like me? What if I end up working at Bobby’s shop for the rest of my life, alone? What if I don’t ever get that chance to have a normal life? What if I don’t ever get to have a family again…_

She sighed and scooted over, putting an arm around Dean’s shoulder, “Don’t ever think you’re not good enough. There’s someone out there. You just gotta go and find them.”

Dean nodded, leaning into his best friend’s touch, “Yeah… yeah, okay. Thanks, Char.”

“Mhm. No prob.” She rubbed her hand up and down his arm, a comforting gesture.

Dean cleared his throat and shifted in his place, “Well… I should probably get goin’.”

Charlie nodded and sat up, “Yeah, probably right. Work tomorrow, huh?”

“Yeah. Bobby gave me off today, but I gotta work extra tomorrow.” He stood and made his way to the door, grabbing his jacket on the way.

“Sucks to suck. Text me tomorrow. Don’t keep ignoring me, you hear?” She pointed a finger at him, a smile on her face.

Dean waved her off, “Yeah, yeah. Tell Gilda I said hi.”

Charlie nodded and gave her customary Vulcan salute to wave him off, “Peace out, bitch.” He shook his head and chuckled, walking towards his Baby. _God, am I lucky to have a friend like her._


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Gabriel Messenger, I swear to God. I know for goddamn sure that my face is not posted across the shop! Goddammit, I’m going to murder you.” Castiel glared furiously at his friend, who had a shit-eating grin on his face, “Oooh but I did, Cassie! Like it? It’s your new advertisement!”

** Monday, November 21, 2016 **

“Gabriel Messenger, I swear to God. I know for goddamn sure that my face is _not_ posted across the shop! Goddammit, I’m going to murder you.” Castiel glared furiously at his friend, who had a shit-eating grin on his face, “Oooh but I did, Cassie! Like it? It’s your new advertisement!”

Cas looked up at his face, plastered on the windows of Sweet Treats.

****  


Castiel groaned and put his head in his hands. He let out a muffled, “I didn’t want to go _that_ public. I told you _one_ thing. One thing and you turn it into… this? I didn’t even reveal the plans on my blog yet!”

Gabe put his hands on his hips, “Hey, take a chill pill. This’ll help business. And besides! More people will know about this little meet and greet of yours!”

“But I want my _actual_ followers to come. Not randoms who are just coming based on my looks or whatever the hell they do.”

Gabriel reached over and clapped his hand on Cas’ shoulder, “It’ll be fine. Just announce the news tomorrow like you planned.”

Castiel glared down at his friend, “Okay. But if I get trampled with needy men or women, I’m blaming your ass.” He pointed a threatening finger at Gabe.

The shorter man just smiled wide and gave a thumbs up, heading into the bakery. _This better not backfire or so help me…_ Cas followed Gabriel into the shop, praying that tomorrow’s feedback would be nothing but positive… _but that never happens, does it?_

 

**********

_Carry on my wayward son,_

_There’ll be peace when you are done._

_Lay your…_

Dean groaned as he leaned up from under the car. He picked up his phone and smiled, hitting the green button, “I’m Batman.”

Charlie sighed on the other line, you could practically hear the eye roll, _“Are you ever going to stop doing that?”_

He chuckled, “Nope. Now what does the Queen need?”

_“Ha, ha. Very funny. The Queen needs you to do her a favor.”_

Dean sighed, “It better not be a blind date. Again. Never again.” He shivered as he remembered that horrible double date with Charlie, Gilda, and Gilda’s friend. That guy was a piece of work.

_“You know how our one-year anniversary is tomorrow? Well… could you maybe pick up a cake at the bakery after your shift? I ordered it already, but I’m taking Gilda out on a hot date tonight soooo I won’t have time to pick it up.”_

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll pick it up. What bakery?”

_“Thanks, Dean! You’re the best! It’s Sweet Treats. You know, past that turn by the high school…”_

Dean chuckled and cut her off, “I know where it is. I’ll get your damn cake, but I expect somethin’ in return.”

Charlie scoffed, _“Like what?”_

Dean was silent for a moment, thoughtful in his decision, “Bake me a pie. Cherry.”

She laughed out loud at that, _“Really? Pie? Could you be any unhealthier?”_

“Hey! Cherry’s a fruit. That means it’s healthy.”

_“Mhm. Whatever you say. I’ll bake your gosh darn pie.”_

Dean fist pumped the air, “Hell yes! Text me a pic when you’re done.”

_“Uh, huh. You’re gross. See ya.”_

Dean laughed out loud and shoved the phone in his pocket. He grabbed a rag to wipe the grease off of his hands and started to clean up his area. His shift was over in five, and Ash was scheduled to take over then. _Eh, Bobby won’t mind if I stop a few minutes early. Gotta get cleaned up to go get that cake anyways._

 

**********

When Dean pulled the Impala into the Sweet Treat’s parking lot, his heart nearly stopped when he spotted the windows.

**Novak**

**Tea for the Soul**

**Live, in person, meet and greet!**

**Saturday, November 26, 2016**

**Sweet Treats Bakery**

**12:00 pm**

**Don’t miss it!**

_He’s… here? Does Novak live_ here? _All this time? Or is he just going on a tour? What the fuck?_

Dean slid out of the car, mind in knots. _Will I be able to meet him? Oh, God. What if I’m able to meet him and he hates me?_ He shook himself of his thoughts and pushed open the glass door.

_Ding, ding_

Dean was greeted by a short man with sandy blond hair, “Hola! Welcome to Sweet Treats. How may I help you?” The man, _Gabriel_ according to his name tag, looked Dean up and down and winked.

He was a little taken aback by the attention, but played it off anyways, “My friend ordered a cake… and I’m here to pick it up, handsome.” He gave Gabriel his award winning smile and the man actually looked surprised when he gave a blush in reply, “Gotcha. Last name?”

Putting his elbows on top of the counter and leaning forward, Dean looked right at him, “Bradbury.”

Gabriel nodded and yelled to the back, “Cassie! Is Bradbury’s order ready?”

A deep voice replied, shocking Dean for a moment, “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute!” _Was that… no, it couldn’t be… he’s_ here? _Now? Oh, God. What do I do? What do I say? ‘Hey I’ve been stalking you for forever and you’ve helped me a whole lot.’ He’ll think I’m insane! Breathe, Dean. Breathe._

Gabriel turned back to him and gestured to one of the open booths, “It’ll be a minute, sir. You can wait over there if you’d like.”

Dean nodded slowly and headed to a booth by the window. His world was spinning; _I’m not prepared for this… what do I do?_

He sat there in silence, running the same question over and over again in his head. Dean was broken out of his detachment when he caught sight of familiar blue eyes walking his way, cake box in hand. But, _oh_ , that camera lens didn’t do him justice. Not at all. He was… beautiful, gorgeous. All the words Dean normally hated to call men, but… those were the only words to describe him. _Handsome_ would never be enough.

Novak held out the white cake box in front of him, looking equally mesmerized, “Uhm… order for Bradbury?” He was staring at Dean with those incredible blue eyes, seeming to be sorting him out like he would a puzzle.

“Uh… yeah. That’s me, well, not me. That’s my friend… uhm… yeah…” Dean hurriedly reached for the box, setting it down and grabbing his wallet, “Uhm, how much is that?”

Novak was still staring at him, but was finally broken out of his… daydream… when Dean cleared his throat, “Oh! Yes, that would be $35.50… sir.” He looked Dean up and down, and not that subtly either.

Dean rummaged through his wallet, nodding, “Yeah, okay. Damn… $35? Really?”

“Yes. I don’t make the prices, Gabe does.” He chuckled nervously, “Blame him.” Novak began fidgeting his hands, a completely different persona than what Dean thought he’d have.

Dean smiled and handed him the money, hands trembling a little. Well, a lot. He was _nervous_. _Sue me._ Novak took the cash, both men blushing when their fingers brushed. Dean pushed his nervousness aside and looked up confidently at the other man, winking, “Keep the change.” Dean smiled wide when that earned a deeper blush from Novak.

The blue-eyed man reached out his hand for a handshake, so Dean hesitantly gripped his palm. Tingles ran through his arm as he thought, _oh my God. There’s fucking_ sparks _. Sparks! Is this a damn movie? Jesus._

Novak froze for a moment and Dean secretly hoped that it was for the same reason for his daydreaming, “Uhm… I’m Castiel. Novak.”

_Castiel? Strange name… it suits him, though._

“I’m Dean Winchester. Nice to meet ya, Cas.”

Cas nodded, eyes wide, “It’s nice to meet you as well. Uhm… I’d better get going… Gabe will kill me if I let the éclairs burn…”

Dean nodded his head frantically, “Yeah, no worries, man.” _Should I give him my number? Is that weird?_

Cas took one last look at Dean, turning to head into the back, “Hey, Cas!” Castiel turned back around, head tilted curiously, “Yes?”

Dean scratched his head and took a pen out of his pocket, gesturing Cas over, “Come over here real quick.”

Cas took the few steps to stand in front of him and Dean grabbed his hand, turning it palm up. He scribbled down his cell phone number, a winky face beside it. Castiel looked down at his hand and blushed, “Oh…”

Dean chuckled and waved him off, “Go save those eclairs.”

Cas nodded slowly and walked off in a daze, staring at Dean’s messy scrawl on his palm. Dean smiled to himself, _hey, that wasn’t too bad. You didn’t run off like a wuss, so count that as an achievement. Charlie would be proud…_

Dean grabbed the cake box, exiting the bakery with newly found hope that he hasn’t had in a long, long time.

 

**********

Castiel was still staring at his palm as he unlocked his front door. He hasn’t had any interest in, well, _anyone_ since college. Since… Meg. And that didn’t end well, at all. She ended up cheating on him with Michael, of all people. _Michael._ The name just makes him want to barf out last night’s left overs.

So… he hasn’t dated since then, but mostly because Cas wasn’t normally attracted to looks. It was the connection that did it for him. Meg helped him get through his freshman year of college, while he was still mourning Anna. She helped him more than she would ever know. They were close. Almost closer than Cas was with his best friend. Well… no. No one could ever replace that fiery redhead. Anna was truly a gift.

Anyways, in junior year… Meg took Cas to a college party. She had left him downstairs to mingle with the other party-goers while she did her own thing, like she usually did. When they were wrapping up the party, Cas went looking for her upstairs. He expected to find her with a bowl of weed in her lap, or something equally _Meg_. But, no. He found his girlfriend. Naked. In bed. With _Michael_. Long story short, it ended that night and Meg ran off into the sunset with her new lover. Damn her.

But, the past isn’t important. Not really. All that matters now was that he had the chance to change. To go out and make friends, maybe even start dating again. And he desperately hoped that he would pick up dating with a certain green-eyed, freckled, Dean Winchester. _Oh, that man was beautiful. The things I’d do for him… to him…_

Cas shook himself out of his daydream, _should I call him? No. That’s too forward, right? I should just text him. Yeah, I’ll do that._

**Sent: Castiel Novak**

Hello, Dean.

Castiel dropped his head in his hands, _why did I say that? Hello, Dean. Really?_ His phone buzzed almost immediately.

**Received: Dean Winchester**

_Hey Cas ;)_

**Sent: Castiel Novak**

How are you?

**Received: Dean Winchester**

_Better now that I’m talkin to u_

_How r u?_

**Sent: Castiel Novak**

I’m well. Better now that I’m talking to you. :D

**Received: Dean Winchester**

_R u mocking me Cas?_

**Sent: Castiel Novak**

Of course not.

Maybe…

**Received: Dean Winchester**

_O rlly?_

**Sent: Castiel Novak**

:D

Castiel was smiling wide at the screen, amused by the childish text. His phone rang in his hand, Dean Winchester showing on the screen. _He’s calling me? Do I answer? What do I say?_

“Hello, Dean.”

 _“Hey.”_ His smile practically translated through his voice, making Cas smile too.

Cas nervously scratched at his head, unsure of what to say, “So…”

_“So… would you like to grab a drink with me tomorrow?”_

“A… drink?”

Dean laughed quietly through the phone, _“Yeah, a drink. Coffee, tea, beer… whatever you want. Have a drink with me.”_

“Well…”

_“Come on, Cas. Don’t make me say please.”_

The line was silent for a few moments, Castiel testing his luck.

Dean huffed, “ _Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”_

Cas laughed out loud at that, “Of course I’ll have a drink with you.” He paused for a moment and said quietly, “Thank you…”

_“For what?”_

“Just… never mind. I’ll tell you tomorrow.” Cas closed his eyes and breathed in deep, _don’t get emotional… don’t get emotional… I don’t need to get emotional now. I’ll scare him away. My only chance at changing…_

_“Okay… tomorrow. I’ll text you, okay?”_

Cas nodded even though Dean couldn’t see him, “Alright. Goodnight, Dean.”

_“Night, Cas.”_

Castiel ended the call with a huge smile on his face. He has a date. Tomorrow. Castiel Novak has a date tomorrow with Dean Winchester. _Oh, I’m so telling Hannah when she comes home._

 

**********

_“Alright. Goodnight, Dean.”_

“Night, Cas.”

Dean’s heart was pounding. Literally, truly pounding. _I’m gonna have a heart attack. I have a date. With Castiel friggin’ Novak. What the fuck just happened…_

He set his phone down in a daze and crawled into bed. Dean closed his eyes, dreams occupied by a blue-eyed man who just so happened to walk into his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://s61.photobucket.com/user/laketaylor67/media/B3614D26-78AD-4A03-8FCB-4AF31E16A379_zpsbwjh9jbm.jpg.html)


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bell to the shop rang and when Dean looked over, his breath caught in his throat. Damn… he’s… wow...

** Tuesday, November 22, 2016 **

_That’s all the time I have for today, folks. Thank you for submitting your questions. Don’t let your anxiety control you, my friends._

_Oh! I have an announcement to make… I will be hosting a meet and greet with you, the fans, this Saturday at 12:00pm. It will be held at Sweet Treats Bakery in Lawrence, Kansas. I hope to see many of you lovely people there._

_Next week’s topic will be posted below, so ask your questions there. Thank you for watching… and remember… don’t pressure yourself. Don’t worry about what others think you should do or what the ‘societal norm’ is. Do what moves you and what makes you smile and the ‘good’ will follow._

 

Dean’s face was going to freeze like this. This is how he’ll go. From smiling so goddamn much at the sight of this man. He rushed to get off work just so he could watch Novak… no… so he could watch _Castiel_ live this time.

Well, that probably wasn’t necessary, considering he’s about to go on a friggin’ date with the man in half an hour. He texted Cas this morning, offering to meet up at a small coffee shop downtown. Nothing too over the top. This is their first date, after all.

_Will he even want a second date? What if I’m not good enough? Is this even a date? Is this just… coffee? No, it’s a date. Right? Get it together, Winchester. If Sammy can marry a pretty lady, then I sure as hell can go on a date with a gorgeous man. Suck it up._

Dean shook himself and headed to his room. He threw open his closet door, scrutinizing his wardrobe. Picking up an article at a time he gave his own commentary on them, _flannel… flannel… flannel… Zepplin t-shirt… flannel… leather jacket… button down… what the hell am I supposed to wear?_

_Do I go casual? Duh. It’s a friggin’ coffee shop. Okay, okay. Chill. Do I call Charlie? No… well… yes? Goddammit…_

He pulled out his phone and found Charlie’s number in his contacts. Dean’s finger hovered over the call button for a moment, _oh, hell. I’m gonna regret this…_

_“’Yello?”_

“Hey, Char. Listen… I need some help. Can you come over? Like, now?”

She made a thoughtful noise into the speaker, _“It depends. What is it that_ Dean Winchester _needs_ my _help with?”_

“Just get your ass over here… please?”

 _“It_ is _our anniversary ya know. But… yeah, I’ll be right over.”_

“Thanks. You’re the best.”

_“Yeah, yeah. I know. Best friend in the whole universe. See ya.”_

The line went dead and Dean sighed, holding a hanger with a flannel in one hand and a button down in the other. _I don’t remember dating to be so hard…_

But the other voice in the back of Dean’s head, the one that has, you know, all the insecurities… and is also kind of a smart ass says, _that’s because you never dated, dumbass. One-night-good-times aren’t exactly dating._

_Yeah, yeah. Shut up._

Dean apparently had been thinking to himself for enough time to allow Charlie to get here.

  _Knock, knock, knock… knock, knock, knock…_

He bounded down the stairs, clothing forgotten on the bed, “I’M COMING!”

Dean swung the door open to reveal Charlie in all her beauty. She curtsied with her arms out, “The Queen has arrived. Now what has your panties in a bunch?”

He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to come in. As they made their way up the stairs, Dean explained all of the _juicy details_ and once he finished Charlie actually squealed. _Squealed._

“No. Way. Are you bullshitting me? Novak? Tea for the Soul guy? Really?!”

Dean laughed as he sat on the bed, mattress groaning, _I need a new goddamn bed… especially now…_ He blushed as he thought of Cas stretched out like that, missing the knowing smile on Charlie’s face.

“So… you’ve got a date in, what? 20 minutes? Why am I here? You should be getting your man!”

Groaning, Dean stood up and walked to the closet. He threw his hand out in a _voila_ gesture, “What the hell am I supposed to wear?”

Charlie smirked and stepped beside Dean, “Well you’re not wearing that… or that… or that…” She pointed to, well, all of the flannels. _No surprise about that…_

“Ah! Okay. You’ll wear this white button down and… ah! These dark jeans. Roll the sleeves up and you’re golden.”

Dean nodded, taking his outfit out of Charlie’s arms, “Are you sure? It’s just a coffee shop, remember…”

“Dude. It’s casual. And those jeans make your ass look great. Trust me.”

He threw a disgusted look her way, Charlie laughing at him, “Hey! I have a wife. A girl can look but not order ya know.”

“Uh, huh. I’ll tell Gilda _that_ next time I see her.”

She rolled her eyes and Dean chuckled, making his way to the bathroom. He called out over his shoulder, “You can let yourself out!”

Charlie scoffed, “Yeah, yeah. Good luck with Mr. Handsome.”

“Thanks! And Happy Anniversary!”

She replied a, “Thank ya!” as Dean heard her tiny footsteps make their way down the stairs. He sighed and looked in the mirror, _she better at least have good fashion taste…_

 

**********

“… And the ‘good’ will follow.” Castiel waved to the camera with a genuine smile on his face for once. Now only less than 30 minutes left until his date with Dean.

_What do I wear? What do I talk about? What if he thinks I’m… boring?_

_Okay. Calm down. Just be confident like Hannah said and it’ll go just fine… hopefully…_

Cas walked down the hall into his bedroom, inspecting his closet. _Okay, just be casual. Right? Button down and jeans? T-shirt and jeans?_ _Blazer? Ah, this should be good… wait_ … _it’s chilly, though? Right? Hmmm…_

He grabbed a soft, grey t-shirt, accompanied by a black blazer and dark jeans. _Okay… okay. This is good. Will Dean like this? Is it too… stiff? No, I don’t think so. Well, I don’t know…_

Castiel stood there with his clothes in hand, contradicting himself for a good fifteen minutes. He eventually nodded and checked the time, _shit… I gotta go…_

He stripped himself of his clothes, replacing them with his _date outfit_. Cas finished in record time and bounded through the apartment, bumping into Hannah at the front door, “Woah there, cowboy. Where are you going?”

“Date. Dean. I gotta go, Hannah. I’ll see you tonight.” He zipped right passed her, barely catching when she called out, “If it goes well, you won’t be coming back tonight, Cas!”

 

**********

Dean pulled Baby into the coffee shop’s parking lot right on the dot, six o’clock. He headed into the shop, the tiny bell dinging over his head. It was cozy, welcoming. Probably because of the yellow tinted lights and dark wood furniture. There was even a small nook area, laden with a bookshelf with all sorts of genres.

Once he determined that Castiel wasn’t there yet, Dean made his way to the nook area. _It’s quiet and one-on-one… that’s what I want, right? Quiet alone time to talk?_

Dean nodded to himself and sat on the small couch. _I’ll wait to get a drink ‘til he gets here… that’s what you do, right? Wait for your date? Oh, God. I’m so bad at this…_

The bell to the shop rang and when Dean looked over, his breath caught in his throat. _Damn… he’s… wow…_

Castiel spotted Dean and smiled, giving a small _come here_ gesture. Dean stood up and when he got close enough, Cas went straight in for a hug. _Oh… oh. This is nice…_ Castiel enveloped him in the warmest hug he’s had in a long, long time. When he pulled away they both were smiling wide, “Should we get drinks?”

Dean nodded and they moseyed their way towards the counter. He felt a warm tingle when the back of Cas’ hand brushed against his. Getting the idea, Dean grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. _Is this too soon? Am I being too forward?_

Cas, apparently sensing Dean’s inner turmoil, squeezed his hand in reassurance. He leaned into Dean’s space and whispered, “Relax. Now, what would you like?” They were standing before a large blackboard, listing various drinks written in colorful chalk.

“Uhm… coffee?”

“Well, you don’t sound too sure of yourself.” Castiel chuckled lightly when Dean threw a panicked look in his direction, “I’m only kidding. Get whatever you like.”

_This is dumb. This is so dumb. Why can’t I act normal? What’s so different about him? Where the hell did my charm go, dammit!_

Dean nodded and pulled Cas to the counter. The young woman cheerfully greeted them, “Hi! Welcome to Sue’s Corner. How may I help you guys today?”

Castiel spoke up first, “I’ll have a grande chamomile tea with honey, please.” He turned and nodded to Dean, “Uhm, I’ll have a… grande coffee, black, please.”

 _Georgie_ nodded and typed in their order, “Right on it, that’ll be $10.25. Name?” Dean reached to dig his wallet out, but was cut off when Cas shook his head, “Novak.”

He leaned in to whisper into Dean’s ear, “I’ve got this one.”

“But…”

Cas handed Georgie his card, “You asked me out, so I pay. You can get the next one if you’d like.”

Dean nodded in defeat. _A… next one? Really?_

Georgie swiped Cas’ card, handing it back, “Alrighty, you guys can wait in the nook if you’d like.” They both nodded and Castiel dragged Dean by the hand to the nook. Sitting down on the loveseat, Cas let go of his hand, “So… where shall we start?” He turned in his seat, facing Dean.

_Oh, no. Do I tell him about Tea for the Soul? I probably should, right?_

Dean scratched nervously at his neck, “Well… I’ve gotta tell ya somthin’ first.” Cas nodded, a curious tilt to his head, “Of course.”

“So, I’ve… uhm… been watching Tea for the Soul… for like, ages.” He chanced a glance up at other man, seeing wide eyes in surprise.

“Oh… really? Do you, uhm, like it?” Cas seemed to fidget self-consciously.

Dean nodded almost frantically, “Yeah, yeah. It’s… uh, helped me through a lot, ya know?” He looked down, slightly embarrassed.

Cas slowly nodded and put a hand on Dean’s, “I’m glad to hear that. It’s good to know that I’ve helped at least someone.” His thumb was rubbing over the back of Dean’s hand, bringing back those goddamn tingles.

“Yeah… it’s, uhm, it’s nothin’. Really…”

The tense moment was broken when Georgie’s energetic voice rang through the shop, “Novak!” Castiel squeezed Dean’s hand, standing up to retrieve their drinks. He came back with a smile and handed Dean his coffee, taking a sip of his own tea. As he swallowed, he moaned around the sweet liquid.

Dean froze, coffee halfway to his lips. _Damn… that should be illegal…_ He took a tentative sip of his own drink, eyes fluttering closed as he moaned himself in pleasure, the hot liquid making its way down his throat. When Dean opened his eyes to take a glance at Cas, he saw that the man was already looking at him. Well, staring may be a more accurate term.

Dean smirked, taking another sip, the same noise making its way through Dean’s throat. Cas blinked owlishly, clearing his throat, “I just wanted to say thank you… for asking me here. I don’t normally get asked out places and…”

Dean put a hand up to stop him, “Hey, no problem.” Cas nodded and took another sip of tea. He smiled and glanced at Dean through his lashes, “So… will you come to my meet and greet Saturday?”

“I don’t see why not.” Dean smiled wide, crinkles forming around his eyes. Cas was just sitting there, cup to his lips and looking at him with pure adoration. _How could anything possibly feel like this? We’ve just met and it’s like I’ve known the man for years…_

Dean leaned forward, elbows on his knees, giving Cas his full attention. For the rest of their _date,_ they talked about everything and nothing. Star Wars, classic cars, music tastes… everything. Dean even learned that despite Cas having different opinions on some things, they had quite a lot in common.

One of the things Dean absolutely adored about the man was that his sense of humor was something unique. It would range from dry to sassy in the blink of an eye. _God, this man is amazing._ _Where has he been all my life?_

 

After they chatted for quite some time, Cas stood up and grabbed Dean’s hand, pulling him towards the exit.

Dean glanced at Cas and asked, “Hey, wanna see the Impala?” Cas nodded enthusiastically, “Of course.”  Dean dragged him to the sleek black car. He put one arm around Castiel’s shoulders, “So… this is my Baby, baby.”

Cas blushed at the term of endearment, reddening impossibly more when Dean winked at him, “She’s very beautiful.” He looked at Dean through his lashes, seeming to contemplate saying something else.

He just cleared his throat and shook his head, whatever else that was on his mind forgotten, “I should probably go… Hannah is waiting for me at the apartment and…”

Dean nodded, him being the one to pull Cas into a hug this time. They stood there in each other’s embrace, reveling in the warmth they found in each other. Finding a sense of _home,_ despite just meeting. They whole thing was quite extraordinary, actually. _Are soulmates a thing? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure he’s mine…_

Dean pulled away, smiling when Cas’ lips brushed against his stubbled cheek, “I suppose I’ll see you around?” Dean nodded and said quietly, “Yeah… yeah. I’ll text you.” 

Cas nodded, stepping away to head to his car. He took one last glance at Dean then gracefully slid into his baby blue Prius. Dean’s gaze lingered on the car as it pulled away, Cas’ hand waving one last goodbye through the window. _Wow…_

Dean slid into his Impala in a daze, the ride home being the most pleasant one he’s had in a long time. The smile never left his face as he unlocked his door, undressed, and slid under the covers. Once he was in bed, he reached for his phone on the nightstand and shot off a quick text.

**Sent: Dean Winchester**

Night, Cas

**Received: Castiel Novak**

_Goodnight, Dean. Sweet Dreams._

Dean smiled at the text and sat his phone down with a _bump_. _I cannot wait ‘til Saturday…_


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tea was Castiel’s choice of drink in the afternoon and evenings, but he absolutely had to have his coffee fix in the mornings. It practically refuels the soul…

** Saturday, November 26, 2016 **

 

Light shone through the quiet room as Castiel blearily opened his eyes. He groaned, rubbing out the gunk as he sat up on the mattress. His vision was cloudy when he looked around, dazed from the rubbing pressure.

Cas was not a morning person. Not by any means. But when he took a glance towards his tiny tabletop calendar, he was suddenly on his feet. Castiel bounded through the hallway, heading to the kitchen. He saw that his favorite mug was already set out under the Keurig. Pressing the _brew_ button, the gurgling sound of the bitter liquid filling his cup rang though the silent apartment.

Tea was Castiel’s choice of drink in the afternoon and evenings, but he absolutely had to have his coffee fix in the mornings. _It practically refuels the soul…_

“Up early today, are we?” Hannah made herself known, breaking the silence. She opened the fridge and pulled out the coffee creamer for Cas, orange juice for herself.

Castiel reached for his special _café mocha_ creamer and nodded, “The meet and greet is this morning at the bakery. I’m going in early so Gabriel and I can set up.”

Hannah nodded, juice plopping as she poured her glass, “Is Dean going to be there?” She screwed the cap on the carton, shoving it and the creamer in the fridge.

“Yes, he is,” Cas looked down as he stirred his coffee, smiling. _I can’t wait to see him again…_

Hannah clapped her hands together, “Great! Let’s see…” She looked up at the clock on the wall, “It’s 8:45… you should probably leave at 9:00…”

Nodding, Cas sat down at the bar. He took a sip, sighing at the lovely hot drink, “Yes. Could you help me find appropriate clothes?” Hannah chuckled and sat beside her brother, “What? You need your little sister to help dress you?”

Cas scoffed and bumped her shoulder, “Yes I do, actually. I’d like to be presentable.”

“Ah, you’re always presentable, Cas. You could go and wear a bikini and they would love you!”

He shook his head, “It’s November, Hannah,” Castiel laughed and sipped his coffee, choking when he processed what his sister actually said, “A bikini? Really?”

“Hey! You’re a looker and you can’t deny that.”

Cas chuckled and shook his head, “Whatever you say. So… will you help me?”

Hannah waved him off, “Of course. You should probably start getting ready.”

Cas nodded, taking one last sip of his coffee. He stood up and headed into his room, Hannah following close behind. _I hope I don’t regret setting this up…_

 

**********

_Ding, ding_

Dean entered Sweet Treats Bakery with a smile on his face, a symptom of his newfound determination. He spotted Castiel right away, sitting in one of the booths. A smile lit up Castiel’s face as he caught sight of Dean, waving him over. _Oh, God. I’ll never get tired of that smile… the way his eyes crinkle at the corners…_

Dean sat down beside Cas in the booth, an inch too close for them to be considered platonic friends. He ignored the short man practically hovering over them as he sat across the table. Dean turned to face Cas, “So... you ready for this?”

Castiel nodded, “I think so. But… what if I say the wrong things?” Dean scoffed and patted a hand on Castiel’s thigh, “You’re Castiel friggin’ Novak. You’ll say the right things. Trust me.” He looked into Cas’ baby blues, not noticing that his hand was still resting on the man’s thigh. Cas looked down and smiled. he put a hand on top of Dean’s rubbing his thumb over his calloused skin.

Gabriel cleared his throat, nothing short of loud. He clapped his hands together to get the two men back in focus. Well, to focus on something other than each other.

“Alrighty-o! How about we get this show on the road? The peeps should arrive any minute now.” Gabe winked at the two, standing to go open the bakery doors.

Dean looked down at their joined hands, then back at Cas. _I really wanna kiss him. Is it too soon if I kiss him? Probably. Be a gentleman, dammit!_ He cleared his throat, putting his other hand on top of Cas’, giving a light squeeze, “You’d better get up, huh? Gotta meet your crazy fans and all that.” Dean chuckled and pulled his hands away as he slid out of the booth, Cas following behind.

Castiel smiled and nodded in return, “Yes. You’ll stick around though, right?”

He looked so hopeful in that moment, Dean couldn’t say no. Which he wouldn’t anyways because he was _definitely_ planning on staying the whole time. _What I’d give to be with him for the rest of the day though…_

Dean nodded, “Yeah, I am. Thought I’d see _Novak_ in action. Ya know, not on a computer screen.” They both laughed at that, startled as a high pitched shriek rang through the bakery.

“Oh. My. Gosh. Novak! You’re really Novak!” The young woman ran as fast as she could towards the two men, struggling to drag her oxygen tank behind her.

When Dean glanced at Cas, he saw that familiar caring smile on his face. He put his hand out, smiling even wider when the woman began frantically shaking his hand, “I’m Emma. Decody. Emma Decody.”

She let go of Cas’ hand, breathing hard. Dean couldn’t help but notice the tubes that came out of her nose, wrapping behind her ears. They connected to an oxygen tank, that sat at her feet with wheels. _What happened to her? Poor girl…_

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Emma. I’m glad you came. You’re the first one, actually.” She beamed up at Castiel, wide brown eyes filled with wonder and awe, “Oh! Well, I… uhm…” Emma reached a hand up to twist a strand of her curly brown hair, a nervous reaction.

Cas gestured to the booth he and Dean were previously sitting, “Why don’t we sit until the rest of everyone arrives?” She nodded and sat on one side, Dean and Cas across from her on the other side.

The room was silent for a few moments, Emma looking curiously between the two men, “Are you two…” She gestured between them, “Together?”

_Are we together? Does Cas want us to be together? Like… that?_

Dean threw a panicked look in Cas’ direction, only to be reassured with a smile. Castiel nodded, “Yes. We are.” He winked subtly at Dean. _Oh… good. That’s good. Real good._

Dean had a wide smile on his face and Emma nodded, “Oh! Cool! You guys are so cute together.” She smiled at the both of them. Cas waited a moment before turning to address her.

“Thank you very much. So… Emma. Where are you from?” Castiel had his curious head tilt and squinted eyes, which Dean thought was all kinds of attractive.

Emma leaned forward in her side of the booth, “Oh! I’m from Oregon. My boyfriend and I drove out here after your announcement.”

Cas looked at her with disbelief, “You drove all the way to Kansas just to meet me? Why?”

_Damn… that’s a long way just to meet one guy…_

Emma suddenly looked nervous, “Well… you’ve helped me through a lot. With my… uh… thing…” She gestured to her nose, where the oxygen tubes stuck out, “Dylan, my boyfriend… he wanted to do this for me.”

Dean looked over as Castiel nudged him out of the booth, standing up to make his way over to the girl. He bent down and gave her an enormous bear hug. Emma squeaked and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. He let go after a moment, keeping his hands on her shoulders, “I’m glad I’ve been able to help you, Emma. I’ll pray for you every day.”

Emma nodded, eyes turning glassy, “Thank you. That means a lot, Novak.” Cas nodded, smiling, “Just call me Castiel, or Cas, whichever you prefer.”

She sniffled and wiped the tears clogging her eyes, “Okay… okay.”

Cas patted her shoulder and rounded the table to take the window seat again. As Dean sat down beside him, he looked over at his friend… partner… he looked over at the guy with ocean blue eyes almost as beautiful as his soul and laced their fingers together. They both smiled at each other, Cas’ eyes twinkling with delight. _He’s so beautiful…_

They were broken out of their daydream when a man entered the bakery. Loudly. He was wearing a grey V-neck shirt, black blazar, and dark jeans. Sandy blonde hair lay styled with gel, giving him a put together appearance.

“Cassie!” The man made his way over to the booth, throwing his arms out. Cas actually looked surprised to see the man… whoever he was, “Balthazar! I didn’t know you were coming!” He looked at Dean, “Dean. This is Balthazar, my cousin.”

_But… he’s French…_

_Well, that’s new…_

Dean smiled and put his hand out, Balthazar gripping his palm professionally, “Nice to meet you, Dean.” He looked Dean up and down, “I gotta say, Cassie… you did well.” Balthazar winked at his cousin, bringing out a blush from the couple.

After a silent moment he clapped his hands together, changing the subject, “Alright! Let’s get this party started, eh?” At that instant, the bell above the door _dinged_ as a group made their way into the bakery. Just as loud as Balthazar’s entrance.

_Is this damn thing scripted? Jeez._

As Balthazar sat beside Emma, Cas nudged Dean out of the booth once again so he could greet his followers. He went through a round of hugs, handshakes, and selfies before waving them over to join the rest of their little group.

They were all crowded around, some sitting in booths and some at tables and some standing. Cas took his place beside Dean and folded his hands on the tabletop, “So, as you all may know… we’re here to get to know each other better. And I’m going to start that off by asking you all kindly to call me Castiel from now on… rather than my surname, Novak.” He smiled as everyone’s eyes went wide, nodding their heads in understanding.

He waited a moment before continuing, “I’d like to go around the group and introduce ourselves. Dean, why don’t you go first?” Castiel looked at Dean in question, a hopeful expression on his face.

_Oh, shit…_

Dean nodded and scratched his head nervously, “Yeah. Yeah, okay. I’m Dean Winchester and I’ve… uh… been watching Castiel’s thing for forever… it’s a… got me past a few things… so… uh… thanks?” He glanced at Cas with uncertainty, just seeing a smile and a nod in return. He snaked a hand around Dean’s waist, pulling him close for a moment, “Thank you, Dean. Emma, would you like to go next?”

She nodded, placing her elbows on the table, “Hi, everyone! I’m Emma Decody and Castiel here has helped me get through my diagnosis,” Emma gestured to her oxygen tank, “I have cystic fibrosis…” She paused there as the group gasped silently. Her speech became rushed as she nervously finished her explanation, “But don’t worry! I’m on the list for a lung transplant… but I haven’t heard anything yet…”

Emma sighed and shook her head, “Anyways! Castiel has helped me through a lot, so I thank him and all of you guys for keeping the blog going.” She looked around the room, catching Cas’ smile. He let go of Dean’s waist and placed a hand on Emma’s forearm, smiling sympathetically, “Thank you, Emma. That means a lot.”

_Why is he so caring? He’s literally perfect… in every way…_

Each member of the group continued to recite their name and something about Tea for the Soul, whether it be personal or a general friendly comment.

Gabriel interrupted the conversation as soon as the last person finished their statement, which happened to be Balthazar. He stood beside Cas’ cousin, who was seated beside Emma, “Sorry to interrupt ladies and gents, but if my ears don’t deceive me… I believe we just heard that _Balthazar_ here is the owner of Mystic Records. Isn’t that correct, Balthy?” He put a hand on Balthazar’s shoulder, looking down at the man in question.

He nodded, “That’s correct. I’ve decided to host an audition session next month on behalf of Mystic Records. There will be a panel of judges, including myself, and we’re asking each entrant to perform a sixty second segment of a song. You’re choice of course.” Balthazar paused, letting the information sink in, “As long as it’s not that God awful Celine Dion song…” He shivered, earning a chuckle from the group.

As Balthazar continued, he made eye contact with each person, “I’ve discussed the plans with Gabriel and the audition will be held here, at Sweet Treats Bakery. It will be a private affair of course, but we’re asking that you all pass this information to your friends... your friend’s friends… and your friend’s friend’s friends.”

He chuckled lightly, glancing at Cas, “Also, my cousin here will be announcing all of the important details on his blog, normal time on Tuesday, of course.” Balthazar winked at Cas, only getting a confused look from him in return.

_Well… I guess this’s a surprise for everyone, huh?_

Gabriel clapped his hands together loudly, gaining everyone’s attention, “Alrighty-o! It looks like our fun time’s up, Cassie. How ‘bout we say our goodbyes and close this shop up for the day.” He smiled and dragged Balthazar up, both of them practically prancing towards the back of the shop like two brothers would.

_Ha… they look like goddamn oompa loompas…_

Everyone made to stand up, saying their goodbyes to their apparent role model. Cas hugged each and every person for the second time today, dishing out kind words. When the last person finally walked out of the bakery, Cas turned to Dean.

_Does he look… nervous?_

Castiel picked at his nail for a moment before getting up the courage to speak, “Would you like to… spend the rest of the day with me?” He looked down and whispered, “You don’t have to… I just…”

Dean stepped forward and grabbed his hand. He leaned his head down to catch Cas’ eye, both of the men smiling when he finally looked up. Dean squeezed Cas’ hand in reassurance, “That sounds friggin’ awesome.”

Cas smiled and nodded, pulling Dean towards the bakery door. As the bell rang, announcing their exit, Gabriel called out, “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

“None of your business, _Gabriella_.”

Dean turned to face Cas, caught off guard by the man’s sass. Cas flipped the bird towards Gabe, not looking back as he continued to pull Dean out of the bakery and towards his car.

They paused once they approached Baby, standing beside the car in silence. Dean was the first to break the tense atmosphere, “So… we could go on a drive… take a walk… see a movie…”

Cas smiled, “A drive would be nice…” Dean nodded and leaned on Baby’s hood, “Awesome.” He gestured to the car, “Well… get in hot stuff.”

Blushing, Castiel opened the passenger door and gracefully slid in. The two sleek black doors shut with a quiet _bang._ Once the two men were comfortable, Dean snagged an AC/DC tape and jammed it into the console.

Baby’s engine roared as Dean hit the gas, the couple making their way down the busy road. They didn’t have a particular destination in mind… but that didn’t matter. The only thing that was important is the quiet hum of Baby’s engine, paired with Dean’s favorite songs.

Although these were Dean’s favorite things, the man sitting beside him was what made this drive different than any other. The quiet talk between the two was almost better than the warmth engulfing Dean’s palm.

They had only about five minutes in when Dean sat one of his hands on the seat, hoping Cas would notice it. And lo and behold, Castiel didn’t waste a single second before grabbing Dean’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

 

After driving around town for approximately an hour, Dean drove the Impala up to one of his favorite _very secret_ places. He always came here with Sammy when times were tough, or they just wanted to get away for a while. The time after their parent’s death was one that rang in his mind the loudest.

Castiel looked around the area where they were parked, “Dean… where are we?” Dean just smiled and slid out of the car, “Come on, I wanna show you somethin’.” Once Cas rounded the car, Dean grabbing his hand and pulling him towards their unknown destination. Well, unknown to Cas anyways.

Fallen leaves crunched under their feet as they followed the trail into the forest. A lake came into view as soon as they rounded a curve. The scene before them was quite extraordinary; it gave Dean a sense of calmness. It was his only source of comfort until a certain man with blue eyes walked into his life. Which is why Dean wanted to share this with him.

They walked onto a pier, where a bench sat at the end of it, overlooking the water. The old wood creaked as they sat down on the piece of furniture. After a moment of silence, Dean cleared his throat, “This… uhm… this is where…” Dean’s voice caught in his throat as he thought about his parents, “Lemme just show you…”

He motioned for Cas to swivel around in his seat, looking at the back of the bench. The letters _J + M_ surrounded by a heart were engraved into the dark wood. Dean reached a hand out, tracing the letters with his fingertips. He cleared his throat once more, voice rougher than before, “This is… this is where my dad told my mom that… that he loved her… and it was where… he proposed to her…”

Tears threatened to fall as Dean looked at Cas, “Cas, I know we haven’t known each other for a while... hell, we just met…” He chuckled, suddenly turning serious again, “But… I need you…” Cas’ eyes were glassy as he reached a hand out to cradle Dean’s face, all that coming out was a whisper, “Oh, Dean…”

Dean just shook his head and smiled, a choked laugh making its way through his throat, “Kiss me you idiot.” Cas chuckled, a tear slipping down his cheek. He grabbed both sides of Dean’s face, pulling him into a gentle kiss. Dean whimpered as his hands found their way into Cas’ dark mop of hair. He opened his mouth as Cas slipped his tongue inside. Dean moaned around the muscle, loving the taste of pure _Cas_. He tasted like honey and coffee and Dean couldn’t get enough of it.

Castiel pulled away after a long few moments and rested their foreheads together. He whispered, “I need you too, Dean.” Dean smiled and pecked kisses all over Cas’ stubbled cheeks, “You’re beautiful, ya know…” Cas blushed, rubbing a thumb over Dean’s cheekbone, “And you as well.”

Dean chuckled and planted one more on Cas’ plump lips, “You wanna go back to my place?” Cas nodded and they both stood up, making their way to the trail that led to the Impala.

They couldn’t seem to part from each other, fingers laced together as they walked, only to be rejoined after they slid into the car.

Gravel crunched as Baby’s tires turned down the road, the inside of the car quiet and comfortable. They didn’t talk much on the ride to Dean’s, mostly because there was nothing to say. The confession sat heavy in their heads. Not an uncomfortable heavy, or even bothersome. Just… good, warm relief.


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She chuckled and patted his chest, “Well, big man… I would have to ask dad for time off. There’s a big party coming in tomorrow to look at our latest addition.”  
> He smiled and kissed the top of her head, “I’m sure he won’t mind. And besides, the last time you saw Dean was our wedding day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Sam's POV, anyone?

** Sunday November, 27, 2016 **

 

Castiel woke with a groan, sitting up on his bed. He looked around the room, only to find that he was in fact _not_ in his room. _Where the hell am I…_ Throwing his legs over the side, it suddenly hit him. _Dean._

Noticing that he was still fully clothed with no Dean in sight, he sighed in relief. _Right. Dean set me up in the guest bedroom… no need to panic…_

Cas quietly opened the bedroom door, making his way into the hallway. As he carefully climbed down the stairs, the sweet aroma of cinnamon and coffee hit his senses. Breathing in deep, Castiel padded down the stairs with more determination and… hope.

Dean was standing in front of the stove, apron around his torso and spatula in hand. He was in the process of drenching another piece of bread into the french toast egg mixture. The sizzle of the pan and the quiet hum of Dean’s voice were the only sounds in the room as Castiel stood quietly in the doorway, arms crossed.

_This man really is something else…_

He smiled fondly at Dean, and slowly made his way behind the man. Dean startled as Cas wrapped his arms around his middle, but immediately relaxed after looking back to meet blue eyes, “Mornin’ Cas. You up for some breakfast?”

Cas smiled and kissed the back of Dean’s neck, “Of course.” They stayed like that for a moment longer before Cas let go and stepped back a bit. Dean turned around and smiled, but Cas was more distracted by the apron that he was sporting.

Putting a hand over his mouth, Cas tried to contain his laughter. But that apron wasn’t doing Dean any good. At all. No one would be able to take him seriously in that thing.

It was a white apron, with what looked like a pulled back piece of fabric showing on the front. But what made the whole thing hilarious in the first place were the boobs. They were dressed in a lacy red bra, peeking out of that little window.

Castiel threw his head back in a guffaw of laughter, eyes watering. He didn’t even realize that Dean was laughing just as hard as he was. Between gasping breaths Cas managed to get out, “Dean… your… apron… boobs… really?”

Dean threw his arms out and smiled wide, “You like it?” Cas shook his head, unable to stop chucking, “Why the hell… do you have that atrocity?”

“Sammy gave it to me for a birthday a few years ago. It’s the only one I’ve got, so I kept it.” He put both hands in the front pockets, thumbs sticking out. Cas nodded in understanding, face still flushed from the bout of laughter, “I see… well it’s not something that I would wear.”

Dean gasped in mock offence, “This thing is _awesome._ Everyone loves boobs!” He threw his hands out again, mouth open in shock.

“Not _everyone._ ” Cas looked Dean up and down, “I prefer the _downstairs package_ , myself.” He winked, chucking when that earned a blush out of Dean. He nodded shyly, “Oh… okay. Got it.” Dean chuckled nervously then turned back to the stove, cursing when he saw the pan, “Shit!”

He fumbled with the spatula, attempting to retrieve the burnt toast. He carefully scooped it up, walking it over to the trashcan.

Cas tilted his head in concern, “Would you like some help?”

Dean quickly looked back at Cas, “Oh... no. No, I wanna do this for you.”

“Okay…” Cas nodded slowly, looking at Dean carefully.

As Dean flipped a new piece of toast in the pan, he turned around, “Oh, there’s coffee on the table there if you want.” He gestured with the spatula to the dark wood breakfast table in the corner.

He nodded, “Thank you, Dean. For everything.” Castiel stood unmoving, holding eye contact with him for a moment.

Dean just waved him off, nodding, “Yeah, yeah. It’s no problem.”

Smiling, Cas turned to make his way to the breakfast table. He sat down and picked up the mug, bringing it to his lips. He was delighted to find that Dean remembered he liked creamer in his coffee. As he held the steaming mug under his lips, he smiled fondly at how well they knew each other after such a short time period.

_Isn’t it strange how we can find comfort in such unexpected places? It’s like, you find this person and you feel like you’ve known them all your life… despite having just met. It’s strange…_

The clatter of plates being set on the table startled Cas back into reality, “Eat up.” Dean smiled and poured syrup all over his stack of sugary toast, completely devouring it bite by bite. Cas chuckled and fixed his own up, eagerly digging into his own stack. Although he had nowhere near the animalistic tendencies than Dean showed towards food, Cas ate just as fast.

With a groan a few minutes later, Dean slouched in his chair, hand resting on his stomach. Cas finished not too long after, pushing his plate forward and resting his elbows on the table. He let the good feelings sink in before Cas interrupted the comfortable silence lightly, “So… what do you think about Balthazar’s audition?”

Dean looked up with a frown, “What do ya mean?”

Cas scratched his head nervously, “Would you want to… audition with me? You said you play guitar… and I could sing…” He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, “Never mind… I just thought it might be fun…”

Leaning forward, Dean cleared his throat, “Well… only if we pick a badass song…” He smiled and winked at Cas, earning a smile in return.

“Really? You’d be comfortable with doing that? Balthazar can be a bit much sometimes…”

Dean cut off Cas’ rambling by reaching a hand across the table, lacing their fingers together, “Let’s do it. Like you said, it’ll be fun right?”

Cas smiled for about the thousandth time this morning, “Right.”

 

**********

 

Light shone brightly through the quiet Californian house, the only sounds in the room being the easy breaths of the couple in bed. After a few moments, Sam Winchester groaned as he shifted to the other side, completely wrapping his wife in his _moose limbs_. Sarah Blake snuggled against his back, yawning, “Good morning, honey.”

He smiled when she lifted her head, puckering up for a kiss. Sam chuckled lightly and leaned in briefly, just to avoid any morning breath. He sighed as he flopped back in the pillows, his long mop of hair going every which way, “So… I should probably call Dean today, huh?”

Sarah sighed deeply and sat up against of the headboard, running her hand through Sam’s hair, “Probably… you really are worried about him, aren’t you?” Sam nodded and sat up as well, throwing an arm behind his wife’s shoulders, pulling her close.

“I am. He hasn’t been himself lately… he needs to get out more.”

“Yeah… but do you really have to drive up there? He’s a big boy. He has Charlie and Benny, right?”

Sam was silent, thoughtful for a moment, “Yeah, but… I haven’t seen him since… I don’t even know…” He sat up straighter, looking at Sarah, “You could come with ya know…” Sam had a playful smile on his face, having already asked that question multiple times.

She chuckled and patted his chest, “Well, big man… I would have to ask dad for time off. There’s a big party coming in tomorrow to look at our latest addition.”

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, “I’m sure he won’t mind. And besides, the last time you saw Dean was our wedding day.”

“Really? It’s been a year already? Time files…” Her eyes were wide in shock, decision already made, “I’ll talk to dad today and we’ll leave in the morning.” Sam smiled and kissed her cheek, “Thanks.”

He rubbed her arm the threw his legs over the bed. As Sam made his way downstairs with Sarah close behind, he sighed as he said, “I guess I’ll call Dean now… should I tell him we’re coming?”

She gave him one of the bitchest bitch faces Sam had ever seen as Sarah smacked his arm, “Duh! Would you want him to come here unannounced?”

Sam sighed drastically, “But what if he doesn’t want us there?”

“Then he’ll have to suck it up ‘cause we’re going.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell him. Now don’t you have an auction house to get to? Dad and all that?” Sam chuckled as he took out the coffee grounds.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” She rolled her eyes and punched her husband on the arm for good measure.

“Hey!” Sam rubbed his arm in mock pain, “I’m a lawyer you know.”

Sarah rolled her eyes once again, “And what are you going to do Mr. Badass Lawyer? Put me in handcuffs?”

He smirked, much like Dean would, “Actually… that’s not a bad idea. Ropes worked quite well last time.”

A pink blush rose on Sarah’s cheeks as she looked at her husband, “They did, didn’t they?”

“Mhm…” Sam looked up thoughtful before he laughed, deciding to change the subject, “Sarah?”

“Hm?”

“Dad.”

She blinked and looked up at the clock above the stove, “Oh! Right. I’ll go get ready…”

Sam nodded and took a step forward to reach for her hand. He pulled her close and leaned down to plant a kiss on her nose, before placing his lips on hers. They lingered there, breaking apart after a few moments. They both smiled as Sarah turned to head to their room.

Sam winked at her, turning back around to finish making his coffee. Once he had his cupp’a Joe in hand, he walked over to the foyer table, retrieving his cell that laid in the miscellaneous bowl.

He sighed, shaking off his nervousness as his thumb scrolled to Dean’s name in his contacts. Taking one last breath, he clicked _call._

_“I’m Batman.”_

Sam scoffed at Dean’s usual greeting, “Really? Aren’t you, you know, too old for that?”

Dean gasped on the other line, _“No one. And I mean no one, is too old for Batman. Now what do ya want, bitch.”_

“Jerk. Well… are you busy this week?”

 _“Why…”_ Dean had a curious lift to his voice.

Sam was cautious as he asked the burning question, “Me and Sarah were thinking about driving down there… tomorrow morning…”

Dean was silent for a moment before speaking up, “ _Tomorrow morning? Why?”_

“We haven’t seen you in almost a year, Dean. We just wanna catch up.”

Dean scoffed, “ _We’re catching up right now. On a thing called a phone.”_

Sam sighed, “You know what I mean. Why does it bother you so much anyways?”

Dean’s voice was quieter, as if someone else was in the room, “ _There’s a lot goin’ on right now, Sammy.”_

Scoffing, Sam ran a hand through his hair. He’s just about had it with his brother’s avoidance this past week, “Like what?”

Dean was silent for a few moments before Sam spoke up again, cautiously, “Are you seeing someone?” The silence on the other line was all that Sam needed to know, “You are, aren’t you!”

Sam was proud of his little brother instincts. Or detective skills. Whatever you’d call it, he was proud.

Dean sighed loudly before whispering again, “ _So what if I am?”_ A quiet _Dean_ was whispered in the background, catching Sam’s attention.

“Is someone else there?”

There was hushed whispering in the background still before Dean spoke up again, _“Yeah, Cas is here.”_

“Cas? Is that who you’re seeing? Can I talk to her?”

Dean sighed, “He’s a guy, Sam.”

Sam’s eyes widened. He knew that Dean was bisexual, but he didn’t expect for him to have a boyfriend so soon after Lisa, “Oh! Well, can I talk to him?”

_“Yeah…”_

A deep, gravelly voice came through the phone, catching Sam off guard for a moment, “ _Hello?”_

Sam cleared his throat, “Uhm… hey. I’m Sam, Dean’s brother.”

_“Hello, Sam. Castiel Novak.”_

Sam smirked, “So… you’re Dean’s boyfriend?”

The line was quiet for a moment, “ _Yes. I care about Dean very much.”_ There was some more hushed whispering, then a laugh in the background. Castiel cleared his throat, _“So, Sam. I hear you’ll be visiting tomorrow?”_

“Probably late on Tuesday. Sarah and I are driving down from Cali and all…”

Cas hummed in the speaker, “ _Right. You attended Stanford, correct?”_

“Mhm. Lawyer in training right now. Dean’s pissed that I’ve gone all _nerd_ , but it makes decent income.”

“ _All that matters is that you’re happy with what you do.”_

Sam nodded in understanding even though Castiel couldn’t see him, “Right. So… what do you do?”

_“Ah, well I work at my friend’s bakery in town. I also run a blog called Tea for the Soul.”_

Sam’s eyebrows rose as he heard the name. _Wait… oh! Novak! Duh. How did I not catch that before?_

“You’re Novak? I showed Dean your blog a couple years ago. That’s how he started watching it, actually. Dude, you’re awesome!” He was talking almost a mile a minute, completely dumbfounded that Dean, his badass big brother, is dating the one and only Castiel Novak. _This is insane…_

Castiel hummed _,_ chucking, _“Yes, that’s me. And thank you very much, Sam. For helping your brother, that is.”_ You could hear the man’s small smile translate through is voice.

“Yeah, well that’s my job.” Sam paused for a moment, “Well, I’d probably get going… Sarah’s about to go in for work. I’ll call when we get stateside, that sound good?”

“ _I suppose… but shouldn’t you be telling Dean this?”_

Sam let out an embarrassed laugh, “Right, right. Can you put him on?”

_“Of course.”_

There was some shuffling on the other line and a couple laughs before Dean’s voice rang through the phone again, _“Hey.”_

“Hey. So… me and Sarah are gonna leave in the morning. I’ll call you when we’re close. Probably Tuesday night.”

“ _Gotcha. See ya.”_

Sam chuckled at the abrupt dismissal and shoved his phone in his pocket. He sighed and rubbed both hands down his face, startling when careful hands wrapped around his waist. Sarah was looking at him with a soft smile, making him smile in return.

“So, I’m off. I’ll be home before dinner, hon.” She poked him on the chest, “And I wouldn’t mind if dinner is ready before I get home…” Sarah had a fantasizing look on her face, which Sam leaned down to kiss off, “Consider it done. Now you’d better go.”

“Right.” She leaned on her tiptoes to kiss her husband once more, turning to head to the door. The quiet sound of the lock clicking shut left in the house in silence. Sam sighed and strolled into the living room, plopping down on their espresso colored sofa.

A smile lifted on his lips as he thought of his brother. He was doing well. New boyfriend and everything. _This is gonna be a good trip…_

**********

 

Dean sighed loudly as he shoved the phone in his sweatpants pocket. It’s not that Dean didn’t want Sam’s company… he just wasn’t ready to introduce Cas yet. _What if is disapproves of him? Screw that, how could anyone disapprove of Cas? He’s perfect. Plus, I think they’d get along well. Two nerds in a spaceship…_

He chuckled at his own joke, smiling when Cas looked over with an amused expression on his face. An expression that he just had to kiss off. Cas hummed into the kiss, running his hands through Dean’s short, soft hair.

Castiel opened his mouth to let Dean’s tongue slide along his. Dean whimpered and pulled back, dragging Cas’ bottom lip between his teeth. He leaned forward to press kisses along Cas’ neck, stopping to nip at the scruff along his jaw.

“Mmm… Dean…” Cas grinded his hips against Dean’s front, earning moans out of the couple.

They hadn’t done anything like this yet. Simple kisses, sure, but the pressure of Cas’ growing erection was something else entirely.

Dean’s gasping breaths were the only sound in the room, “Cas… couch… now.”

Cas nodded silently as he walked backwards to the couch, Dean’s lips never leaving his. Once Cas’ calves hit the cushions, he pulled Dean down on top on him. It wasn’t what you’d call _graceful_ , but that didn’t matter. Dean was kissing Cas for all he was worth.

Soft pants and whimpers became louder as they grinded harder. The kiss was growing desperate as Dean went relentless on Cas’ pretty pink mouth. And he didn’t mind at all that Cas was a _really good kisser_. Probably the best he’s had, like, ever.

Since Dean had taken the lead, he started to slow his rhythm. He pulled away, Cas letting out a displeased groan, “Dean…”

Dean sighed as he leaned forward, resting his forehead on Cas’, “I know, baby… let’s not go too far just yet.”

Cas nodded silently and grabbed Dean’s face in his hands, “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

They sat there in each other’s presence for a few moments, just enjoying the closeness. Dean sighed and pushed himself up, but not without kissing Cas one more time. Cas chuckled, standing up as Dean did.

“Alright… I should probably get some shopping done and get the guest bedroom ready…” Dean scratched his neck, looking around the house.

Cas nodded in understanding, “Okay.” He paused for a moment, thoughtful, “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

Dean looked up, surprised, “Tonight?”

Cas chuckled, eyes crinkling at the corners, “Yes, tonight. Unless you have plans?”

He shook his head, attempting to not look too eager, “No. I mean, yeah. Dinner sounds awesome.” Dean smiled, earning a wider smile from Castiel, “Good. I’ll pick you up at 7:00?”

“Yeah that sounds good.”

Dean walked him to the door, arm resting on his lower back. As he opened the door Cas’ eyes went wide, “Dean… I don’t have my car.”

Dean laughed louder than he probably should have, “Right, right. I can drive you to the bakery if you want?”

Cas smiled, “I suppose so… although I’ve been told not to take rides from strangers.”

Dean laughed out loud and punched Cas on the arm, “Uh, huh. I’m a real stranger alright. Lemme get the keys, I’ll be right out.”

Nodding Cas made his way towards the Impala. Dean joined him not a minute later, both men sliding into their seats. The ride didn’t take very long, as the bakery was only a few minutes away. But in that short time, the couple sat in silence, the warmth of each other’s palm resting in their hands.

Baby roared into the bakery’s parking lot, parking beside Cas’ baby blue Prius. They sat in silence for a moment before Dean glanced at Cas, who was already staring at him. He cleared his throat and squeezed Cas hand, “Guess I’ll see ya later.”

Cas nodded, leaning into Dean’s space. He planted a chaste kiss on Dean’s lips, lingering for a moment as they tended to do. Cas pulled away and reached for the door handle, “I’ll see you at 7:00, Dean.”

Dean smiled and nodded as Cas slipped out of the car, shutting the door lightly. He walked over to his baby blue Angel, gracefully sliding into the driver’s seat.

Dean looked up to see a small smile and wave before Castiel pulling away. Dean watched as his boyfriend turned the corner, sighing in a way Charlie would call _dreamily_ when he placed both hands on the steering wheel. _Wow… tonight’s gonna be awesome…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of y'all were wondering, Sarah works at an auction house that mostly sells art stuff like in the show :)
> 
> And if y'all are liking Sam's POV, I'll put more of his side in along with any requests for another character's POV.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His heart was still fluttering as he made his way down the stairs and to the couch. Dean snatched up the remote, turning on whatever movie was airing at the moment. He mentally high-fived himself when John Travolta showed up on the screen. The movie was almost halfway over, but he didn’t care. Dean’s seen Grease as many times as he could count, he was almost able to recite all of the lines. Sam thought it was a problem, but really, Travolta was hot and no one could deny that.

** Tuesday November, 29, 2016 **

****

As Dean entered Castiel’s apartment for the first time, he was genuinely surprised. The place hardly looked like it could be an apartment. Well, aside from the small size of course.

Cas let go of Dean’s hand as he threw the keys on the coffee table, startling Hannah. She turned around from her place on the couch, eyes widening in surprise, “Oh! Hello.”

Dean smiled at Cas’ little sister. _They really do look alike…_

“Hey, I’m Dean.”

Her confusion switched to intrigue when she heard the name. Hannah smirked at Dean, eyes glinting in amusement, “Ah… so this is the famous Dean Winchester.” She glanced at Cas with a teasing look, “My brother has told me a lot about you.”

Dean just smiled and patted Cas’ back, “Only good things I hope.”

Hannah leaned one arm on the back of the sofa, “ _Very_ good things, isn’t that right Cas?”

Cas rolled his eyes and grabbed Dean’s arm, pulling him towards the recording room, “Yeah, yeah. _Very_ good things. We’re going now.”

He gave an apologetic look to Dean, “Sorry about her, she’s just too interested in my social life. It’s not healthy.”

His sister shouted as Cas closed the door, “I heard that, tough guy!”

Dean laughed at the sibling’s bickering. It reminded Dean of him and Sam. _Is it bad I’m excited to see the little guy tonight? I haven’t seen him in ages…_

Cas walked over to his dark wood desk, opening up his laptop and getting his recording gear ready. It was so surreal to even be in this room. The very room that helped changed his life in a way. The desk, the chair, the bookshelf against the wall… it was all here, in the flesh.

Sammy would say that he’s fan-girling, which he definitely _is not_. He’s just… admiring a nicely furnished room. Yeah, that’s it.

“Alright. I’m ready to start in a few minutes. You can sit on the couch over there if you’d like.” Cas smiled at him as he sifted through some papers.

“Sure.” Dean turned to relax on the plush, black couch, arms reclined over the back, “So… what’s the topic for this week?”

Cas looked up from where he was scrolling on the laptop, “Oh, this week we’re doing survival. Which can be interpreted however the asker sees fit.”

“So, like… getting through tough situations?”

Cas nodded, “More or less, yes. I’ve received many questions this week, but I’ll be reading the usual amount.”

“Gotcha.” The room was quiet for a moment, Dean bursting into a fit of _manly_ giggles a few moments later. Cas tilted his head at the spectacle, confused, “Dean… what’s so funny?”

“It’s just that… I always rush home to watch this and… here I am. Watching the show as live as it could be.” He continued giggling, gradually calming down. When he looked up Cas had a funny smile on his face. Dean’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, “What?”

Cas shook his head, eyes twinkling fondly, “Nothing. I just can’t believe you really like all of this.”

Dean shrugged, “What’s not to like? You give good advice and you’re beautiful. You got the whole package, babe.”

Castiel blushed, looking down, “Thank you… that means a lot.”

They let the comfortable silence envelope them, only to be startled when an alarm went off. Cas jerked his head up and reached for the laptop, “Ah, it’s time to start.” He glanced at Dean, seeing a thumbs up and a smile in response. Castiel turned the recording equipment on, red light blinking at the top of the computer screen.

“Good evening, everyone. This is Novak and welcome back to Tea for the Soul. This week our topic regards survival. As I said in the description last week, this topic can be interpreted however you want. So, let’s get on to the questions, shall we?”

“ _EmilyBates_ asks: I’ve been through a pretty rough time since, well, my whole life. I’ve self-harmed and tried to attempt things that I shouldn’t have. My question is… how do I stop? How do I stop hating myself? How do I stop seeking pain as a comfort? How?”

Dean looked up to see that Cas had tears in his eyes by the end of the question. And Dean wasn’t doing much better. That was _heavy_. There’s been questions like that in the past and they always hit him in the gut. Dean couldn’t imagine _anyone_ having those thoughts. It was just too heartbreaking. He couldn’t help but think, _what if that was my daughter or son?_

Castiel cleared his throat and continued, “Emily, I’d first like to say that I’m genuinely sorry. I don’t know what happened, but I do know that you are not alone…”

He paused for a moment, collecting himself, “To answer your question, you’re the one in charge. The first step is to learn to love yourself. When you wake up every morning, your first thought should be something you like or admire about yourself. If you do this a few times every day, you’ll soon believe it. Tell yourself that you’re good enough, that your hair looks great, that your outfit is perfect. Even things as small as ‘I’m proud I got out of bed this morning’ helps.”

“The next step regarding self-harm is to focus on other things. Doodle on your wrist or thigh instead. Make art to replace the bad things. Another method would be to hold an ice cube in your hand. But remember, it’s a slow process… so be patient.”

“Always keep fighting, Emily. You are enough and you are not alone. Remember that.”

Dean was looking up at his boyfriend with awe. He knew all the right things to say. Hell, Dean would’ve barely been able to get through reading the question. Castiel was truly something special.

Cas went through the rest of the questions like a pro, glancing at Dean with a fond smile between each one.

“So that’s it for today, folks. But one last thing… I’d like to introduce someone very special to me. Someone who I’ve just met, but I feel like I’ve known him for ages.”

Dean jerked his head up at the mention of his name, eyes wide. _Does Cas really want me to go up there?_

Castiel gestured for Dean to join him at the desk, apparently not kidding about introducing him to practically the whole world.

Dean nodded silently and stood up from the couch, slowly making his way over. Once he got in view of the camera he was suddenly _very_ self-concious.

“Everyone, this is Dean. My boyfriend. He’s very special to me, so I’d like to ask for everyone to keep their negative comments to themselves.” He threw an arm around Dean’s waist, pulling him close.

Dean smiled and waved to the camera, “Hey, guys.”

Cas quietly chuckled, “Anyways, that’s it for today. Next week’s topic will be posted below so, as usual, ask your questions there. And remember, from every wound lays a scar. And every scar tells a story. A story that says ‘I survived’.”

He smiled brightly and waved, pulling Dean down for a kiss before turning off the camera. The end frame being two men who were hopelessly falling in love.

 

**********

 

The sun had already set as Dean entered his house with a brighter smile than ever before. The in-person scene of Castiel in action was truly amazing. He thought that the man’s words were moving before, but seeing him so animatedly giving advice after getting to know him… it was even better. Dean would probably deny it for the sake of being teased, but that blog and the man who runs it holds a special place in his heart.

The house was quiet as Dean padded his way up the stairs to his room. The bed groaned as he sat down, startling when his phone rang loud in his pocket.

Dean looked at the phone, clicking the green button when he saw that it was his brother who was calling.

He smiled as he said his customary greeting, “I’m Batman.”

Sam’s eye roll practically screamed through the phone, _“Me and Sarah are about an hour away. We stopped at a motel and some diners on the way so we’re running a bit behind.”_

“Gotcha. I’ll be up and poppin’ so come on in.”

Sam groaned at Dean’s forced country accent, “ _Don’t ever do that again. Ever.”_

Dean laughed, “Yeah, yeah. See ya later.”

“ _Uh, huh.”_

Sam ended the call first, probably busy watching the road. Dean sighed and got up to inspect his dresser, ready to turn in the day clothes for the night. He grabbed a pair of flannel pants and a soft t-shirt, quickly getting changed. As Dean pulled the shirt over his head, a loud _bing_ rang through the room.

He groaned while muttering, “What is it now…”

His sour face was immediately replaced with a smile when he saw who it was.

**Received: Castiel Novak**

_Good evening, Dean. I hope you enjoyed my blog session today. I look forward to having you appear in many more, that is if you’re comfortable with it. I could really use the support, not to mention advice on how to better myself. Before you ask, I do realize that this is a fairly long message and you’re probably groaning at the lack of emoticons, but I wanted to tell you goodnight and sweet dreams._

Dean smiled wide, not expecting something so sweet. He’d be lying if he said his eyes weren’t turning glassy at the sentiment.

**Sent: Dean Winchester**

‘Course I’d wanna be in more videos. And thanks for that, I needed it.

                                              Goodnight, Angel.

 

See, Dean Winchester could use his words too. _Take that, Sammy._

His heart was still fluttering as he made his way down the stairs and to the couch. Dean snatched up the remote, turning on whatever movie was airing at the moment. He mentally high-fived himself when John Travolta showed up on the screen. The movie was almost halfway over, but he didn’t care. Dean’s seen Grease as many times as he could count, he was almost able to recite all of the lines. Sam thought it was a problem, but really, Travolta was hot and no one could deny that.

The credits rolled down the screen as Dean heard a key in the lock. _Well, let yourself in why don’t ya… jeez…_

Sam and Sarah made their way past the foyer and into the living room where Dean sat. The couple took the other side of the couch, throwing their bags on the floor. Dean looked up to see the tired faces of his brother and sister-in-law, “Long drive?”

Sarah nodded, answering for her husband, “Yeah, lots of traffic and all that. We’re beat…” Dean nodded, grunting as he stood up. He turned off the TV and lights, gesturing for them to follow him up the stairs, “Y’all have the guest room so get comfy.”

She thanked him as she dragged her husband into the nicely decorated room. Sam patted Dean on the shoulder, saying a tired thanks as well. Dean just chuckled and left them to it, migrating to his room as he muttered, “Crazy kids…”

As Dean slid under the covers all he could think of was that text message from Cas. He was completely and utterly infatuated with the man.

 

**********

 

** Wednesday November, 30, 2016 **

****

Castiel was scrolling through some questions that have been asked, replying to as many as he could with Hannah by his side when the doorbell rang. The two siblings looked at each other in question, neither expecting company. Cas just shrugged and made his way to the door. When it opened a somber looking Balthazar was standing in the doorway, “Cassie we need to talk.”

Cas squinted his eyes in curiosity, “What happened?”

Balthazar just shook his head and stepped inside, “It’s… a long story. Sit, please.”

He nodded, “Should I get Hannah?”

“If you’d like.”

Cas nodded and made his way to the recording room, silently gesturing for Hannah to follow while mouthing, “It’s Balthazar.” She nodded in understanding, following him to join their cousin in the living area.

Leaning forward on the couch, elbows on knees, Cas looked at Balthazar skeptically, “So… wanna tell us what’s going on?”

Balthazar looked at him with a guilty expression, nervously scratching his head. He apparently decided to just rip off the bandage and get it out a mile a minute, “I never told you before but Megan and her husband are both labeled for Mystic Records. Meaning they’ll be here to judge the audition.”

He paused when Castiel didn’t respond, “I’m sorry, Cas.”

_Meg is here? Now? Shit…_

Cas nodded slowly, “It’s okay, Balthy. It’s not your fault. I can deal with it.”

Balthazar looked skeptical, “Maybe… but I know what she put you through. She was bitch.”

Shaking his head, Cas leaned back, “She was a good friend. Things may have turned out… shitty… but it’s fine. We’re fine.”

“You haven’t talked to her since college, Cas.”

Cas looked at his cousin with that intense blue gaze, “Exactly. People change.”

Balthazar put his hands up in surrender, “Okay. I just wanted to warn you. God knows you’d skin me alive if I hadn’t warned you.”

That brought out a small smile from Cas, “You’re not wrong.”

Castiel felt warmth on his hand as Hannah decided to join in, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Cas nodded, putting a reassuring hand on his sister’s, “Positive. Besides, if she tries anything I’m sure Dean will have something to say about it… and her husband.” He let out a broken chuckle. _She left you. She cheated on you. You’re with Dean now and you wouldn’t trade that for the world. It’ll be okay._

Cas patted Hannah’s hand once more before standing up, signaling he was finished with the conversation, “Thanks for the warning, but I think I can handle it.”

Balthazar nodded, standing up as well to give Cas a quick hug, patting his back, “You take care, Cassie. And don’t forget to inform your little followers about the audition next week. I’ll text the details.”

Cas nodded and walked Balthazar to the door, saying one more round of goodbyes. The door quietly shut, the two siblings sharing a look. They made their way back into the recording room in silence, resuming their responses.

_Do I tell Dean about Meg?_

 

**********

 

Sam awoke surrounded by a warmth pressed along his back. He smiled put his hand on top of the delicate one that was wrapped around his waist. Sarah stirred behind him, nuzzling into his neck. Sam shifted so he faced his wife, quietly watching her face as she woke up.

Sarah Blake was the best thing to ever happen to him. She was smart and beautiful and kind… she was his life. Sam couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. He truly believed that they were soulmates, that is, if those existed.

He stayed still as Sarah’s eyelids fluttered, hazel eyes gazing at him sweetly. She leaned forward, pecking a kiss to the side of her husband’s mouth. Sam swore that he’d never get tired of that greeting.

Sam smiled and reached a hand up to run through her hair, “Good morning, baby.”

Sarah cuddled closer, breathing deeply into Sam’s neck, “Mmm, good morning.” She ran a hand through his slowly growing beard, chuckling, “You totally have to shave this thing off.”

He looked at her with mock offence, “You don’t like it?”

She looked at the scruffy, brown facial hair, thoughtful as she scratched at it, “Eh. It’s alright I guess.”

Sam smiled and stole another kiss, “Good, ‘cause I’m not shaving it.” Sarah rolled her eyes and shifted to stand up, her husband doing the same. They both padded down the stairs towards their lifesaver. Coffee. The couple had quite the attachment to the bitter drink, especially Sarah.

As they entered the kitchen they saw that Dean was already there, stirring a cup for himself. The two brothers said a silent greeting with one look, Sarah smiling at them.

“There’s some left,” Dean gestured to the coffee maker, turning to relax in the living room, leaving the couple to fend for themselves. Sarah leaned in to whisper in Sam’s ear, “Kinda grumpy in the morning, huh?” They both chuckled, Sam rolling his eyes, “Tell me about it.”

Once they had a warm cup of coffee in hand, Sam and Sarah joined Dean on the couch. Cupcake Wars was playing on the screen, some episode about Comic Con. _He is such a geek sometimes, I swear. Him and Charlie… and they say I’m the nerd?_

When the end episode credits rolled, the show switching to a new theme, Sam cleared his throat, “So… is there any chance we get to meet this new boyfriend of yours?”

Dean looked over at his brother, “Sure, we can all hangout later.”

_Wow… that was easier than I thought…_

“Oh, okay. That sounds good. What are we gonna do?”

Dean looked down, thoughtful in his decision. He shook his head in defeat, sighing, “Not sure. I’ll go call Cas.”

Sam nodded as Dean grabbed his phone, finding Cas’ number. He wouldn’t be able to hear Castiel’s side of the conversation, but at least he could hear Dean’s.

Dean’s face lit up after a moment, “Hey, Cas.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m doing good, you?”

“Oh… really? She’s gonna be there?”

“Uh, huh. Well, don’t worry about it, babe.”

He laughed for a good few moments, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Okay. Okay. So, listen. Sam and Sarah are here and we were thinking of hangin’ out. Probably get everyone together…”

“I know, I know. I just thought I’d ask.”

“Ha. Oh! You haven’t met Charlie yet have you? Yeah, you’re right. You have to come.”

“Alright, well I’ll text you when.”

“Yeah, okay. See ya, babe.”

Dean smiled as he stared at his phone. _Wow, he really likes this guy…_ Sam cleared his throat, making Dean look up, “So, what did Cas say?”

His brother was still smiling bright, “He’s free later. Do you mind if he brings his sister?”

Sam shook his head, “Nah, that’s cool. So what do you have in mind?”

“I was thinkin’ a movie night? Pizza and beer.”

Sam smiled, glancing at Sarah to see a smile on her face as well, “Sure, we’re down.” Dean nodded and turned his attention back to the TV, “Awesome.”

Sam laced his fingers with Sarah’s, both of them turning to watch the atrocious show. Some woman was going on about how her icing mixture wasn’t right… it was basically a bunch of moms complaining about sugar. _How does he like this crap?_

 

**********

Cas ended his surprise phone call from Dean, excited to be actually invited to something for once. He knocked quietly on the quest bedroom door, Hannah opening it a moment later, “What’s up?”

He smiled wide, “Dean just called, his brother is here with his wife and they invited me to hangout.” Hannah smacked her brother on the arm, “That’s great! You’re finally getting out!”

Cas rolled his eyes, “Uh huh. Anyways, do you want to come too?”

“Duh, of course.” She smiled, pushing her way past Cas and into the hallway, “Just drag me out of here whenever.”

Castiel chuckled, following Hannah into the living area. As he sat down on the couch, Cas sighed as he thought of his conversation with Dean. He told him about Meg, how she was a judge for the audition. Dean took it fine; he didn’t seem like he was worried at all… but Cas was. _What if she starts something? She used to get vicious when she was angry. But… she has nothing to be angry about right? She has her husband, so she should be happy._

_I just… don’t want her to attack Dean…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's probably a ton of mistakes in this, so I apologize. I'll edit as soon as I can.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel squeezed Dean’s bicep and rubbed a hand down his arm, “Dean and I will be auditioning as well, but for you to find out how great we are… it only makes sense to come and audition as well.” Castiel smiled wide as he looked up at Dean.

Hannah followed Castiel as he unlocked the door to the apartment. He was smiling more than Hannah has seen in a long time… and all it took was two weeks of knowing Dean Winchester. But she had to admit, Dean was a nice man and she couldn’t help but think he was easy on the eyes. She was sure everyone who passed him looked at him twice, to just see those stunning green eyes and honey blonde hair again.

But this is Castiel’s man she’s talking about. His _boyfriend._ He hasn’t had a partner since Meg, and Hannah didn’t approve of her at all. She was a toxic human being who broke her brother’s heart. Yeah, Dean is definitely the superior significant other for Cas.

They both sighed loudly as they sat down on the couch, the warm buzz of beer flowing through their veins along with the good feelings that the Winchester’s brought them. Sam, Dean’s brother, was just as Castiel explained him. Impossibly tall and super smart.

Sarah Blake was beyond lovely. They both shared a love for art, making it easy to hold conversation. Hannah thought that she may have made a new friend tonight. They exchanged numbers, promising to keep in touch after Hannah left.

The TV clicked on, Cas browsing through channels. Hannah will be leaving in the morning although she’d love to stay so she could see Castiel and Dean audition. But life isn’t always fair. Brooklyn was calling her, which she couldn’t really be upset about. She overstayed her welcome and Hannah missed her parents and her friends and the life she built in her hometown. It was lovely, her friends and her job and all that… but she missed Castiel terribly and leaving now would bring a gaping emptiness to her heart.

Cas was the sweetest person she has ever known, and she’s not just saying that because their siblings. Hannah really, truly enjoyed her brother’s company despite the bickering that tended to flow between them.

Hannah leaned on Cas’ shoulder, gaining interest in the movie that played on the screen. He carded a hand through her hair, a normal gesture between them. They fell asleep like that, leaning against each other for support, dreading the morning when Hannah had to leave.

 

**********

** Tuesday December, 6, 2016 **

****

Dean sat in Castiel’s recording room, watching intently as he answered questions to the best of his ability. Cas paused before he announced the news regarding Mystic Records, waving Dean over, “I have some exciting news to share with you guys,” He pulled Dean on his lap, lacing his arms around Dean’s middle. Dean chuckled at the gesture, blushing slightly as he remembered the people watching them at that very moment. But in all honesty, he didn’t care that people were watching. It was great that Cas has become so much more comfortable in his recent videos. Maybe it was because of Dean, maybe it was because of Hannah, but Dean didn’t care. As long as his boyfriend is happy, that’s all that matters.

 

He rubbed a hand on Cas’, listening intently to his announcement.

“Some of you may know my cousin, Balthazar King, who is the founder of Mystic Records,” He waved his hand as if shushing everyone, “Now, now. Before you all go crazy, Balthazar wanted me to share an event that he’s been planning. Mystic Records will be holding an audition session in search of new artists. There will be a panel of judges, including Balthazar himself, and he is asking that you all come and prepare a sixty second piece.”

Castiel squeezed Dean’s bicep and rubbed a hand down his arm, “Dean and I will be auditioning as well, but for you to find out how great we are… it only makes sense to come and audition as well.” Castiel smiled wide as he looked up at Dean.

“Now, because Balthazar unknowingly conspired with my friend, Gabriel, he will be holding the audition at the one and only Sweet Treats Bakery. Be there Friday December, 16 at noon and I promise that you won’t be disappointed.” Dean looked down at Cas with a fond smile working its way on his lips. He absolutely couldn’t wait to start rehearsing with Cas. They haven’t picked out a song yet, hell, he hasn’t even heard Cas sing yet. Well, besides those times when his chest vibrated with quiet humming as he cuddled up to Dean. Precious times like those are what Dean cherishes. Castiel can be so sweet and gentle and so absolutely adorable that it made Dean’s heart hurt.

Castiel ended with his usual line, turning off his equipment then dragging Dean to his bedroom. They didn’t get much time to just _be_ while Sam and Sarah were in town. They did something new every day together whether it be movie night, a nice dinner, or a night out in town. It was the best week Dean’s ever had by far, everyone he cares for was there.

But the week ended this morning, Sam and Sarah leaving for Stanford at the ass crack of dawn. So, that’s why Dean is at Castiel’s house, relishing in finally being alone together. They had all the time in the world, actually. Bobby had given Dean the entire week off while Sam was here, thank the Gods. So today being his last day off, he fully intended to spend that time with his boyfriend.

Dean cuddled up against Cas, blue comforter snugly surrounding them. With his head laid on Cas’ chest, Dean was entranced by the way Cas carded his hands through his hair. They didn’t say anything for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

As Cas’ breathing evened out, Dean tilted his head up to study him. The wrinkles that lined his forehead smoothed away, making him look younger than he was. Well, despite being young anyways. Twenty-seven, actually. Just a year older than Dean. But _that_. That was just one of the things he adored about Cas. Every stress wrinkle, every beauty mark – especially the one on his chest, _Jesus_ – Dean admired every part of Cas even if the man didn’t agree.

His stubble has grown out, not having shaved for a couple days. And let me tell you, Dean would _love_ to have that stubble scratch marks in between his thighs, but… he doesn’t want to go that far. Not yet. Sue him for being a gentleman, dammit, but Dean will stretch this out until he couldn’t possibly hold back any longer.

Dean watched Castiel’s eyes flutter open, smiling softly as he noticed Dean gazing up at him, “Hello, Dean.”

A smile graced Dean’s lips as he leaned up, kissing Cas sweetly, “Hi.” He shifted so he could lay chest to chest with Cas, kissing him for all he was worth. Castiel made a pleased sound, one hand stroking down Dean’s back as the other pulled Dean closer by the neck.

Dean had both hands cupping Cas’ face, refusing to let any space between them. Their tongues slid together in sync as the addicting sound of spit slick lips echoed in the room. Dean dragged Cas’ bottom lip through his teeth, a chuckle escaping both of them. A hand slipped under Dean’s shirt, leaving tingles in its wake. Cas rocked upwards at the same time a whimper slipped out of Dean’s mouth.

_Oh, no. What if this goes somewhere? Would that be… okay? Shit, hell yeah it’d be okay. But what about me being a gentleman and all that? I mean, it’s been what? Two weeks? Three? He isn’t keeping track anymore, although he probably should for anniversary reasons. Yeah, yeah. He’s a sap. Sick Sam on him for all he cares, ‘cause this is Cas he’s talking about._

He trailed kisses down Cas’ neck, stopping to suck a satisfying mark on his way down. Dean began slowly sneaking his hands under Cas’ shirt as he worked on a – in Dean’s opinion – beautiful mark on Cas’ collarbone. _I think it’s been long enough… if Cas wants it, then who’s stopping us? Apparently Dean is and his gentlemanly notions…_

Cas realized what Dean was up to and attempted to help pull off his shirt, then Dean’s. Once it was just bare skin from the waist up, Dean ran his hands down Cas’ sides, massaging that gorgeous skin. Castiel looked up at him in adoration as he abruptly pulled Dean down for a scorching kiss. He pulled away, panting, “Dean, are you okay with this?”

 _Duh._ Dean rested his forehead on Cas’, nodding, “Been ready for ages…” He lightly brushed his lips against Cas’, teasing him as he pulled away. Cas groaned as Dean trailed down his body, showering it in kisses, “You’re beautiful. Every inch of you.”

Castiel massaged his shoulder, blushing deeply, “Thank you.” Dean smiled as he reached to unto Cas’ jeans, “This okay?” He looked up to see Cas nodding eagerly, “ _Yes.”_

The sound of the zipper going down added to the anticipation that _this was really happening… well, fuck it._ Cas lifted his hips as Dean pulled the denim down, revealing tented briefs that sported a _very_ tempting wet spot. To get on equal grounds, Dean awkwardly stripped himself of his jeans, throwing both pairs on the ground.

Cas stared at Dean’s also _very_ tented undergarments with a look of pure _want_ reflecting in his eyes, “ _Dean_ …” He pulled Dean down fast but gentle, manhandling him so that Cas was now on top. A tongue trailed down Dean’s neck, a downright predatory look in Cas’ eyes as he gazed at Dean through his lashes. The wetness inched closer and closer to the top of Dean’s boxers that he was practically squirming for Cas to _take is damn cock out already, jeez._

Two fingers slipped under Dean’s waistband, slowly pulling the black boxers down. His breath quickened as his cock sprung free, hissing at the burst of cold air. Cas licked his lips, leaning in to let his breath ghost over the tip. Dean grabbed hold of Cas’ hair as his tongue flattened and licked all the way down to the base. He followed the pulsing vein only to engulf Dean’s cock in one graceful move, nose hitting the blonde curls.

Castiel went relentless, bobbing up and down with expert rhythm. Dean met his movements in sync, sounds of pleasure spilling from his mouth. The mattress creaked as Cas pulled off with a _pop_ , moving up Dean’s body slowly. His boxers rubbed against Dean’s cock, making him moan helplessly as Cas cut him off with a kiss.

He crawled back down Dean’s body, licking the palm of his hand before grabbing Dean’s cock and jerking him relentlessly. Cas’ palm smoothed over the tip as his wrist twisted expertly. The sound of Cas’ spit and Dean’s precome echoing in the room did Dean over, he spilled over Cas’ hand with a sharp gasp, “ _Cas_ …” Dean couldn’t focus on anything other than Cas’ hand still moving up and down his cock and the wave of pleasure coursing through his body.

Once the stars were gone from Dean’s vision, he sat up and gave Cas an open-mouthed kiss. His hand trailed down Cas’ side and settled on his cock as he finished his boyfriend off. Cas came with a silent gasp of Dean’s name as he felt teeth bite down on his neck.

As the come cooled between their bellies, they kissed lazily on their sides. Cas’ hands were cupping Dean’s face while Dean ran his hands over Cas’ chest. Sweet sighs kept spilling out of Dean’s mouth, which he would be embarrassed about, but this is _Cas._

Their lips tired out after a while, spit slick and swollen. Cas kissed Dean on the cheek softly before whispering, “I’ll get us cleaned up.” He gently rolled off the bed and Dean head him rummaging through cabinets. The sound of the faucet running cut off and Cas arrived back at Dean’s side with a warm wash cloth.

He gently ran the cloth over Dean’s belly and hands, paying extra attention to each finger. Once Cas was satisfied, he returned to the bathroom to probably clean himself off. The bed dipped a few moments later as a warm line pressed up against Dean’s back. The last thing Dean remembered was a soft kiss on the nape of his neck and a quiet, “Sweet dreams, Dean.”

 

******

 

** Saturday, December 10, 2016 **

****

“Dean, we are _not_ playing Bob Seger for our audition.” Cas was glaring at Dean from across the floor. He was rummaging through his IPod in search for adequate songs for their audition while Dean was doing the same through his cassette tape box, “But, _Cas_ … _Night Moves_ is a classic.”

“Yes and so is _Ice Ice Baby_ , but I’m not requesting we preform that atrocity.” Dean groaned dramatically all while muttering, “At least I have good taste in music.”

Castiel’s head snapped up to look at Dean in amusement, who was more interested in the Seger tape that he held in his hand. Cas put a hand up to his ear, leaning towards Dean, “What was that? I believe I heard judging. Was that judging I hear? Dean, do you hear it too?”

Dean just rolled his eyes with a fond smile, chucking a lone gummy bear in Cas’ direction. Cas dodged it and attempted to throw it back, but was cut off when a handful of them hit his chest. _What the fuck?_

He threw a warning glare in Dean’s direction, “ _Dean…”_ Dean smirked playfully and leaned forward, “Cas.”

“Dean.”

“Cas.”

“Dean.”

“Castiel.”

Cas’ stomach fluttered at the use of his whole name, but he just rolled his eyes and threw the handful of gummy bears back, “We’re not getting anything done. Balthazar is expecting a good performance from us.”

Dean shoved a few gummies in his mouth, talking with it open, “Uh huh, and it will be good. Just gotta pick something… classy.”

Cas groaned but smiled fondly at Dean’s lack of manners, “Classy.”

“Uh huh.”

“And what do you consider classy? Wait, let me take a guess… Bob Seger?”

That got Cas another glare and a threatening finger, “Hey! It’s better than _Ice Ice Baby._ ” Cas huffed, “I never _asked_ to perform it. I simply stated that it was a classic like you were implying with _Night Moves._ Simple.”

“Right, simple.” Dean abandoned their game of chuck-gummy-bears-at-your-boyfriend and continued to rummage through his box. He made a surprised sound and held up a tape, “What about this?”

Cas leaned in so he could get a closer look, only to make an unimpressed face when he saw the cover, “Johnny Cash?” Dean nodded, “Sure. Got any better options?”

Cas looked down where he was scrolling through his playlist. He let out a sound of approval when he came across a couple of options, “I found an adequate song. Here, listen.” Dean rolled his eyes at the term, “Adequate?”

“Yes, now shut up and listen. This is one of my favorites.” Cas hit the _play_ button as guitar riffs played through the tiny speaker,

_Do you wanna go to heaven tonight_

_Leave the evidence far behind_

_Say alright, alright_

_Do you wanna be my lover tonight_

_We can leave everybody else far behind_

_Say alright, alright_

_Do you wanna see heaven tonight_

_Underneath those lights_

_You will look so beautiful_

_Do you wanna see the stars_

_Before they fall_

_See the stars before they fall_

_Do you wanna be my love to night_

_And for all my life_

_Could be so wonderful_

Castiel was swaying to the music, watching as Dean’s eyes fluttered closed and bobbed his head while he listened to the lyrics. The words were doing funny things to Cas’ stomach, but he reveled in it.

The song played through the remainder of its melodies and when it finally ended, Cas realized that he shifted closer to Dean. Their knees were touching and Cas’ IPod was abandoned on the floor, switching to a new song. He leaned in with a smile, catching Dean’s lips with his.

Their tongues tangled as an unexpected song played through the tiny speaker,

_There, you see her_

Cas’ fingers found their way into Dean’s hair, tugging as Dean tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

_Sittin’ there across the way_

A whimper made its way through one of them, Cas didn’t know who. He was melting in Dean’s embrace without a care in the world.

_She don’t got a lot to say_

_But there’s something about her_

_And you don’t know why_

_But you’re dying to try_

_You wanna kiss the girl_

Dean let out a chuckle in Cas’ mouth, pulling back to smile fondly with slight offence, “Cas… The Little Mermaid? Really? I thought you were better than that.” He tisk’d and pulled Cas closer by the neck, lips locking.

_Yes, you want her_

_Look at her, you know you do_

_It’s possible she wants you to_

_There’s one way to ask her_

Cas rolled his eyes, breaking apart for a moment, “ _Hannah…”_ Dean chuckled and brought him back in, licking into Cas’ mouth.

_It don’t take a word_

_Not a single word,_

_Go on and kiss the girl_

Cas whimpered as Dean pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. He pushed Dean lightly to the floor, crawling on top of his body.

_Sha la la la la la_

_My, oh my_

_Look at that boy too shy_

_He ain’t gonna kiss the girl_

Dean smirked and gestured to himself, “You too shy, angel? Gonna kiss me or not?” Cas rolled his eyes and leaned in again, kissing Dean hard as he grinded down slowly.

The music kept playing as they kissed, and kissed, and kissed, and Cas didn’t really want to stop. The taste of Dean on his tongue was addicting and he absolutely can’t wait to get his boyfriend out of those offending pants.

_Sha la la la la la_

_Ain’t that sad_

_It’s a shame, too bad_

_He’s gonna miss the girl_

******

 

** Tuesday, December 13, 2016 **

 

“ _Sam_. I’m serious. Christmas is coming up and I don’t know what in the hell to get Cas.” Dean groaned and sad down heavily on his bed. He ran a hand over his face, sighing.

“ _I don’t know what to tell you, Dean. You know him better than I do.”_ Sam sounded bored on the other line, huffing when Dean groaned again, “But you could at least help me, jerk. You saw him for what, a week? That’s plenty of time to get to know him.”

“ _But he’s_ your _boyfriend. I’m sure you can figure something out. Get him a new mug or something.”_ Dean scoffed and flopped down dramatically on the pillows, “A mug? Seriously?”

 _“I don’t know! Like I said,_ your _boyfriend. Call Charlie or something, you guys hangout, right?”_

“Well, yeah. Sometimes we have movie nights with her and Gilda, but…”

_“But nothing. Call Charlie.”_

Dean rolled his eyes, knowing he’d probably regret calling the redhead, “ _Fine._ Tell Sarah I said hi. See ya, bitch.”

“ _Jerk.”_

He dropped the phone down with a sigh, Cas deserves something friggin’ amazing and Dean just couldn’t think of anything. Maybe Sam was right, Charlie might have something up her sleeve. Dean grabbed the phone, finger hovering over Charlie’s name. _Fuck it…_

_“’Yello?”_

“Charlie, hey. Can we talk?”

 _“Depends. That’s usually the phrase for the_ we need to breakup _talk, which doesn’t apply to us. Or it’s the_ I have a nasty rash and I need advice so we gotta talk _talk.”_

Dean rolled his eyes and said fondly, “Screw off. Seriously, though, it’s about Cas.”

_“What about him? Did something happen?”_

“No, no, no. I just…” He paused with a sigh, he’s so gonna regret this, “I don’t know what to get him for Christmas.”

The line went quiet for a few moments, _do I need to call an ambulance? Am I that stupid?_

_“Really, Dean? Just get him something he’ll like.”_

Dean groaned, this is just like his conversation with Sam, “But _what_? What if it’s not good enough?”

Charlie sighed and you could hear her amused smile through the phone, _“Do you want me to go shopping with you?”_ Dean rolled his eyes for probably the hundredth time during this conversation, “No, _mother._ Never mind, I can find something myself.”

_“You sure about that, Romeo?”_

“Yeah, thanks anyway.”

_“Mhm, no prob. Tell me what you get him, though. A girl’s gotta know.”_

“Yeah, yeah. See ya.”

_“Peace.”_

Dean groaned, turning to lay on his side. _What the hell would Cas want?_

******

 

Castiel smiled as he looked down at the tiny box in his hand. It held Dean’s Christmas present and Cas is sure that he’s going to like it.

He walked down the busy sidewalk, bustling with early Christmas shoppers. The air was cold, probably anticipating the winter snow, so Cas took to wearing his old tan trench coat. Dean thought that it made him look like a creeper, but Cas didn’t care. Hannah had gotten it for him a few years ago during this time, so he always wore it. No matter how many times a certain mechanic-slash-guitar-player moaned about it.

Speaking of that mechanic-slash-guitar-player, Dean stopped by earlier that day to join Cas in his weekly live stream. It was nice that he actually enjoys what Castiel does. He doesn’t think he’s anything special, but Dean seems to think otherwise. So that’s why Cas went out of his way to find the absolutely perfect gift for Dean, his boyfriend.

Oh, how Cas loves that term. He actually has a _boyfriend._ That was something Castiel never thought he’d have again and here he is, able to kiss Dean Winchester whenever he wants. He’s able to lay in bed with him and talk softly in his ear. He’s able to trace every inch of his body, head to toe. Well, shit. Now he’s getting aroused. Cas has been thinking about taking their… physical connection to the next level. Sure, they’ve done too many blow jobs to count, and made out to their hearts extent… but Cas wants that _intimacy._ He wants to be inside Dean, or for Dean to be inside _him._ It doesn’t matter much, as long as they make love.

That’s another thing, the L word. They haven’t spoken the L word at all, not once. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Cas doesn’t feel it or see it in Dean’s eyes and feel it in his touches… but he’s been itching to say that one little phrase. Cas absently wondered if Dean was feeling the same inner turmoil as well.

Cas shook his thoughts away and continued down the sidewalk. Now’s not the time to dwell on that, what he needs to do now is get home and practice their song. They were supposed to practice on their own then jump right into it during the audition. Dean wanted each of their talents to be a surprise and although Cas was wary of messing up, he felt the same. So, he was to practice his favorite song on his own.

Dean agreed to perform _Stars_ by Sixx A.M. and Castiel was doing a happy dance inside at that. He put that song on his playlist after he met Dean and it’s quickly become one of his favorite songs. Cas supposes that he considers it _their_ song, actually.

Okay, now his thoughts are running wild. Cas just needs to get home and practice and pointedly _not_ think of Dean, even though he just _knows_ that he will.

 

******

 

** Wednesday, December 14, 2016 **

****

“Stop that hummin’, boy, and get to work.” Dean rolled his eyes and held up the wrench he was currently wielding, “I _am_ working, Bobby. And I have an audition on Friday, sue me.”

Dean heard Bobby grumble something that sounded like _idgit_ , as he walked back into the garage. _Just another hour and then I can go shopping. Oh, hell. When did that happen? Shopping? Really, Dean?_ He groaned at his internal conversation and continued to bury himself in the hood of the car. It’s a second generation Volkswagen van and Dean was just about to smash the damn thing.

Sure, Dean had a love for classic cars and the old van was pretty darn cool, but _who the fuck manages to get water in the gas tank? Apparently Dmitri Krushnic, that’s who._

The guy came in with his son, who looked perfectly innocent, saying that he wanted to clean the tank with the garden hose. And Dean’s not gonna lie, he laughed pretty damn hard at Dmitri’s face. He looked so tired of the kid’s shit that Dean actually felt bad for him. A little.

And so here Dean was, in the hood of an old VW when he could be cleaning up and heading to the mall right about now. But _no_ , Dmitri paid extra for it to be done today and hell if Bobby was gonna pass up that extra cash.

It took Dean a grand total of forty-five minutes to properly get the tank cleaned and the engine running again. Not his best time, but whatever. He’s done now and all he has to do is clean up and clear out. Once he got everything settled and pulled the VW to the front so Bobby could deal with the Dmitri guy, Dean call out a _see ya, Bobby_ over his shoulder.

The drive to the mall didn’t take long. Dean slid out of the Impala and through the front doors with no idea of what he’s looking for. Well, Dean had a few ideas, but _what if they’re not… romantic enough? What if Cas doesn’t like it?_

_Who am I kidding? That man will appreciate anything I give him. It could be a package of underwear and he’d probably kiss me senseless for it._

Dean walked into a hipster looking store that sold everything between geeky t-shirts to crazy coffee mugs _. I bet Charlie would have a field day in here._

The store was filled with voices talking of Christmas and people looking around at the different items on display. Dean squeezed past a group blocking one of the isles and came across something friggin’ amazing. He whispered, “That’s it.”

He picked up the gift with a smile and headed towards the front to get it customized. Once his requested words were engraved, he also grabbed another something for Cas to go with it. Satisfied, Dean walked out of the store with a smile on his face, bag in hand.

_Oh, Cas is gonna love this…_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading <3


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